SBT issue 439

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ISSUE 439

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SUSSEX BUSINESS TIMES

CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF RIDGEVIEW IN 2020 THE MULTI AWARD WINNING SUSSEX VINEYARD

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk SERVING THE SUSSEX BUSINESS COMMUNITY SINCE 1975

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A growth engine for sussex businesses Your local business community

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Our limited time offer Premium Individual Membership ✔ Access to all regional publications online ✔ Access to gated content not available in free or Community Individual membership ✔ Membership to whole site online ✔ Paper copy for your region delivered to your door ✔ Access to the market place ✔ Member only discounts on goods and services ✔ Access to competitions with great prizes ✔ Community platform access ✔ Access to our market place ✔ Premium Membership discounts on events and in the marketplace ✔ Premium Membership only events ✔ Access to the members news feed to mention exciting developments in your company

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SBTWelcome Value Added Partners

Welcome to our latest digital edition of Sussex Business Times.

As we just come out of an amazing heat wave, people’s moods are

beginning to lift slightly. This month has seen many businesses reopen, especially in the hospitality industry. Pubs, restaurants (and yes, I have

been to Gars twice already!) gyms, hair salons – it has been a very welcome change for us all.

The air of uncertainty is still amongst us but the wheels are certainly in motion

for a return to some form of normality and it has been great to have some faceto-face meetings, all be it socially distanced.

In this month’s cover feature we have a real treat and another anniversary to celebrate. SBT has always been a publication and platform to help

celebrate the amazing Sussex business community and its true success

stories. Last year I had the privilege of being shown around the amazing

Ridgeview Vineyard by Mardi and Tamara Roberts as we spoke about the

story and history of Ridgeview, and that 2020 would be its 25th anniversary

Sponsors

year. This multi award winning family run business are the true pioneers for English sparkling wine, and it was a true honour to cover this story, share

it with our readers and to help celebrate (in my opinion) the perfect Sussex success story.

As always, the issue is packed full of great content and advice from our

sponsors and contributors and we thank you all for your continued support.

The County Business Clubs community continues to grow and we look forward to welcoming more new members and partners this month. We are also delighted to announce Ridgeview as our latest Value Added Partners.

I hope you all enjoy this issue of SBT, and I would like to wish all our readers, friends and business associates all the very best. Continue to stay safe and well, remain positive and together we will come though this.

Develdas

Sam Thomas, Managing Director

Luxury Chocolates & Gifts in Brighton Marina

Develdas imports handmade, luxury chocolates directly from Valentino Chocolatier in Belgium.

The chocolates are made to order and always very fresh.

Treat yourself or your loved-ones to the finest quality and the very best chocolates around.

We have a nice selection of chocolates in our webshop, and an even wider selection at our shop in Brighton Marina which has wheelchair access throughout.

Discover all our delicious Chocolates online: regular, sugar-free, vegan or alcohol-free.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 3

www.develdas.co.uk 07855 214323

Issue 438

06 08 Cover 439

Managing Director/Publisher Sam Thomas sam@thebusinessgroup.co.uk 01323 819 012 Production & Design Kim Butler Accounts Clare Fermor accounts@thebusinessgroup.co.uk 01323 819 016 Published by The Business Group Sussex Ltd. Unit 1a Swan Barn Business Centre, Swan Barn Road, Hailsham, BN27 2BY Printed by L&S Printing Limited Hazelwood Close Worthing BN14 8NP 01903 821005 www.ls-printing.com

All material in this publication is strictly copyright and all rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. The views expressed in Sussex Business Times Magazine do not necessarily represent the view of The Business Group Sussex Ltd. Every care is taken in compiling the contents but the publishers of Sussex Business Times Magazine assume no responsibility for any damage, loss or injury arising from the participation in any offers, competitions or advertisement contained within Sussex Business Times Magazine. All prices featured in Sussex Business Times Magazine are correct at the time of going to press.

Copyright The Business Group Sussex Ltd. 2020 ©

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13 17 23 29 35 39 45 51

57 61 65 68 70

CBC members round up Member spotlight

News

A round up of the local business stories from across Sussex

SBT Finance

Quantuma – Capital Gains Tax: why sell now?

MHA Carpenter Box – What is sustainable investing?

SBT Legal

Post Brexit work visa system – DMH Stallard

SBT Property

Green Home Grants Newsletter - Town & Country Property Services ‘Building Surveying is boring’..? By Ben Anderson, Crossley Anderson

SBT Sales & Marketing

Growing your company during a global pandemic, Creative Pod The Power of video marketing, The Vlog Academy

SBT Charity

Win a £1 million house for as little as £2 Running a charity during a global pandemic, Ryan Heal CEO Rockinghorse

SBT Cover Feature

Celebrating 25 years anniversary of Ridgeview in 2020

SBT People Management & Recruitment

Returning to work after lockdown – Theresa Cooper, Cooperative HR

SBT Lifestyle

The Ivy in the Lanes | Lets Meet Herve Guyat – New Steine Hotel Trying is Buying – Develdas Luxury Chocolates

SBT Motor News

What is best? SUV, MPV, Crossover or 4x4? Sponsored By Rivervale Leasing

SBT Networking & Events

Affected by redundancy – Network My Club can help

SBT Ask the expert

Three at Three James, Emma & Lisa are back with more great advice

Cube Corner

SBT Cube Consulting round up and this month’s focus on Whitespace

SBT Yellow Fish Think Tank

Sustainability in a new world – by Rachel Douglas - Senior Event Manager at Yellow Fish

CONNECT THROUGH SPORT

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www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 5

MO NT H LY N E WS

County Business Clubs members roundup It has been a great month for County Members Business clubs as Roundup we reach over 100 members from all businesses and industries. We continue to share content, have discussions and much more in the community. We are delighted to announce our Value

Added partnership with Ridgeview, Love Local Jobs, Picture Book Films and Visit Brighton.

We have introduced our Member Spotlight, and this month we focus on Noel Preston, of Preston Insurance Brokers.

We will also be launching our new engaging, interactive content hub this

month and we look forward to sharing this with our members.

Our community continues to grow and looks forward to welcoming more of you this month. It is still FREE to join – simply CLICK HERE | register | create your profile and start benefiting from being part of the County Business Clubs community.

Our new members

Your Business | Your Community | Your Platform

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CBC M EM BER SP OTLIGHT

Member spotlight...

Preston Insurance Brokers

Your business.Your insurance.

Tell us about Preston Insurance Brokers?

Member Spotlight After 20 odd years in insurance, both with insurers and brokers, I started Preston Insurance Brokers in December 2012 with my business partner.

The aim was to position ourselves to become the insurance broker of choice for businesses in Sussex and surrounding areas. I am really proud of our achievements to date and the reputation earned over the last eight years by our terrific little (but growing) team!

Whilst we are certainly not finished in Sussex by any stretch of the imagination, an opportunity to take our renowned service into London presented itself at the beginning of the year and we are looking forward to delivering our service offering there as well.

What has been your biggest business challenge to date?

Other than Covid-19 (which has probably been the biggest challenge for most businesses), it would be balancing efficiencies and profitability without negatively impacting our Client service.

Our reputation drives and grows our business and needs to be at the forefront of what we do, so whilst processes and procedures are massively important in delivering our service the Client experience must be at the forefront as it is the lifeblood of our business.

What has been your greatest or proudest business achievement to date?

The stats for new businesses failing in the first year are c20% and within their first 3 years 60%. So my proudest achievement to date is actually two-fold; starting up in the first place and still being around 8 years later!

What type of clients do you currently work with and who are you looking to meet?

We arrange and service all types of insurance for all kinds of business. This could be someone who owns a single let property, a business start-up or a company employing a few hundred people and everything in between.

Our client base is extremely varied both in business/industry type and size. We look after; commercial and residential property owners, manufacturers, retailers, motor traders, storage and distributors, construction, sports & leisure clubs, professional services, media & marketing, visitor attractions...

The list goes on! If it’s a business, we can look after it! This means any business is a potential prospect for us.

We are very fortunate around 90% of our new clients come from recommendations, referrals and introductions from both our existing Clients and our wide range of introducers. When these opportunities

Noel Preston

arise they are priceless. When someone has the faith in your ability to recommend their contacts to you they are putting their own reputation on the line, it is the highest compliment we can receive.

The County Business Club members can be confident of us looking after anyone sent our way.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself that people might not know?

Most people reading this will probably know I play drums in a rock covers band, which is the thing I generate the most fun from a personal point of view.

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MO NT H LY N E WS

Brighton property market to benefit from lockdown fever

The lockdown has got even more people dreaming of living by the sea according to the UK’s biggest property website - and that’s good news for the market in Brighton & Hove.

Rightmove has reported a spike Monthly in enquiries about News seaside property, both from buyers looking for a second home and from those wanting to move full time to the coast to live and work.

Rightmove’s Property Expert, Miles Shipside believes that being in lockdown has given many homehunters time to reassess what they want from their next move.

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He said: “Having the chance to look out your window to a sea view is something many home-hunters tell us is a dream of theirs. This means that the properties that do offer this are able to charge a premium compared to those in-land.

“Lockdown has changed what a number of home-hunters are now looking for from their next home, and while some are looking for more space or a bigger garden, others are now contemplating a move to the seaside.”

It’s perhaps unsurprising that coastal living is increasing in popularity as it has been shown to significantly improve mental wellbeing. Sea air helps improve sleep, being by the sea is also associated with feeling relaxed, calm and rested, seaside residents are more likely to exercise and, according to reports, living by the sea is even more calming than living near green spaces.

The good news for anyone planning to make Brighton & Hove their new home

MON T H LY N E WS

Agencies were allowed to return to work, we have seen a significant increase in enquiries week on week, particularly from people in London and surrounding counties looking to move out from the city for a better quality of life.

“Many people now realise that they can work effectively from home which is encouraging them to live outside of the capital. If the stamp duty holiday is introduced, I can only see demand for property in Brighton & Hove increasing as people considering buying will want to take advantage of the time limited tax saving!”

Emma Ormiston, Partner at SHW added: “Covid-19 has been a major disruption to both work and life in general, but there seems to be a consensus that it has aided further thought into work/ life balance. It was a common theme to see those that were able to relocate outside central London to lockdown with family members that had access to more outdoor space.

city is that exciting new work-and-live projects are already in the pipeline.

are looking to get away from crowded inner-city areas.

Edward Street Quarter, for instance, is a new community in the east of the city which aims to become known as the centre for creative and commercial innovation in Brighton.

“From that point of view, Brighton couldn’t be more perfect. Not only does it have the sea and a vibrant cultural scene, but it is also a growing area for business development. That’s why we decided to build Edward Street Quarter here and to embrace the idea of living, working and socialising in the same community. For anyone looking to get away from London or wanting to upgrade their offices on the south coast, it’s an exciting project.”

It will provide office, retail and residential space all on one site - meaning that people can work, live and play in the same environment. It even includes a spectacular roof terrace with sea views for those who work there.

Steve Eccles of developers First Base said: “It’s no surprise to see that moving to the seaside is becoming more popular when you consider we have all been cooped up for so long. The lockdown has made people realise how important outdoor space is to their lives and they

Estate Agents in Brighton & Hove are also noticing an increase in interest following the pandemic.

James Epps, Director of Oakley Property in Brighton commented: “Since the government announced that Estate

“Brighton was no exception to this, and with people focussing on wellbeing and a better home environment it is not surprising that interest in homes in Sussex has increased. Working from home appears to have been a great success and it is likely that most companies will continue with this at least in part.

“However, it is important that teams can get together to collaborate and for some, working from home is impractical. So, we shouldn’t be waving goodbye to our office buildings just yet.

With more and more people looking to relocate to the seaside, we envisage more businesses choosing Brighton as an office location, where they can access a large pool of talent and staff will be happy to be able to live and work by the sea.“ For more information, please visit www.edwardstreetquarter.com.

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Alej Ez

Brighton Gin releases pride 2020 rainbow fund limited edition bottles Multi-award winning craft distillery Brighton Monthly Gin has announced News the release of its Pride 2020 Rainbow Fund bottle. Working with the Brighton-based LGBTQ+ artist Alej ez, the limited edition was released for sale on Thursday 30th July, with an initial run of 250 bottles, individually signed and numbered by the artist, making each one a unique artwork.

the structures of his work, says: “My work reflects my intrinsic LGBTQ+ nature and interests. The flag is our symbol and represents us. I researched what is arguably the LGBTQ+ rights movement’s most recognizable and unifying symbol - the original rainbow flag was designed by the gay rights activist Gilbert Baker in 1978 and lies in the London Design Museum. I had a eureka moment, imagining this rainbow flag across Brighton skies reflected by the sea.

Every year since 2016, Brighton Gin has released a limited edition Pride bottle to not only celebrate Brighton Pride but also to support the work of The Rainbow Fund, the Brighton and Hove based grant-giving hub for local grassroots LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS organisations.

2020 is a landmark year for the global Pride movement, marking the 50th anniversary of the first Pride march and 30 years of Brighton Pride.

“The final image shows the victorian railings along the Brighton & Hove promenade with the inviting steps that take you down to the pebble beach and welcome you to the sea, where the iconic structure of the remains of the West Pier stands. We may not be able to celebrate together this year but I am also inspired by the movement named ‘Pride Inside’ we are proud no matter what.”

Brighton Gin works with a different LGBTQ+ artist each year. The Granadaborn Alej ez, whose original training as an architect is reflected in the detail and

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Through their Community Spirit initiative, Brighton Gin has supported hundreds of community organisations and charities across the city and beyond. Kathy Caton, Founder of Brighton Gin said:

“with the Rainbow Fund having lost its major fundraising event through the necessary cancellation of Brighton Pride, we want to do all we can to support their work with grassroots community organisations doing such vital work in Brighton and beyond. We may not be able to be together in person, but we can raise a glass to better times to come and raise funds at the same time”.

Chris Gull, Chair of the Rainbow Fund says: “thank you so much Brighton Gin for raising funds, yet again, with another beautiful limited edition Pride bottle.

All the money raised will be distributed as grants to the local LGBTQ+ and HIV projects that we support. It’s a tough year for all of them, trying to continue to support hundreds of LGBTQ+ people in Brighton & Hove between them who require their vital front line services”.

The Brighton Gin Pride 2020 Rainbow Fund Edition bottles can be bought directly from brightongin.com.

Recognising what a challenging year it will be for raising funds, £5 from each bottle will be donated to the Rainbow Fund.

MON T H LY N E WS

Latest figures show insolvencies lower than last year due to Government support but debt is increasing dramatically Despite the what is now officially a recession, a wave of money and government support totalling over £83bn (furlough and loan schemes only) is still keeping UK companies afloat, but corporate debt levels are soaring as a result.

The result of the unprecedented support is that according to figures just released by the Insolvency Service, English corporate insolvency levels remain over a third lower than this time last year (955 July 2020, 1,451 July 2019), but corporate debt levels have increased dramatically. Bank of England figures show that lending to

UK SME’s in June 2020 was nearly 16 times higher than it was in April 2020,

and over 8 times higher than any other month in the last 7 years.

Whilst we still await the detailed

breakdowns, the Insolvency Service figures show that there was a small

uptick in Administration appointments, but Liquidation appointments remain very low compared to historic

levels. This is also partly due to the

prohibition of Statutory Demands and

Winding Up petitions in May and June, and the resultant backlog still being dealt with by UK courts.

Gareth Harris, Restructuring Advisory Partner at RSM commented: “Given the wave of money provided to UK corporates the insolvency figures don’t really come as any surprise. However, despite this support and the furlough scheme, the recent employment figures suggest that UK corporates are starting to feel the pain and are taking some difficult decisions regarding future sustainable employment levels. A string of recent major job losses from many

high street names, and the depth of the fall in GDP when compared to other European nations supports the view that there are major challenges ahead.”

Lizzie targets European Championships with support from charitable foundation Worthing-based wheelchair athlete Lizzie Williams is receiving financial backing from a local charitable foundation to boost her dream of competing at the World Para Athletics European Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland in 2021.

Lizzie already competes internationally in T54 wheelchair racing events and is aiming to represent Great Britain at next year’s showcase thanks in part to support from the Carpenter Box Charitable Foundation (CBCF).

Lizzie was born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta (brittle bones), but her athletic ability and determination to succeed has seen her win numerous sporting accolades. Now she is training hard to achieve her dream of becoming a GB para-athlete next year.

Even during lockdown, she has managed to continue her six days

a week training regime at home, thanks to a ‘rolling road’ and creative adaption of equipment to maintain her strength and conditioning routines.

The specialist equipment required for wheelchair racing makes it an expensive sport for participants, and so far Lizzie has managed to generate her own funding. Now though, she feels that the sponsorship from CBCF could be a game changer for her.

“Now that I have the support of CBCF, it’s taken some of the pressure off me, knowing that every month there is a pot of money there that I can use to support my training regime and maintain my equipment”, said Lizzie.

“I am so thankful for their support and hope that sometime soon when we can race again, I will be able to show how much difference it has made to my performance.”

When not racing, Lizzie actively promotes disability sport in the local community and over the last couple of years has worked with around 50 schools across West Sussex, sharing her story and supporting specific campaigns and sports days.

Chartered accountants MHA Carpenter Box has offices in Worthing, Gatwick and Brighton and was one of the first businesses in Sussex to set up a charitable arm with a focus on supporting smaller local organisations and people who often find it difficult to raise funds. The foundation – which has now raised over £200,000 in total – is run by staff trustees along with one partner, who together decide on donations and grants. www.carpenterbox.com/who-arewe/csr/

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MO NT H LY N E WS

Posture People creating healthy work spaces at home Posture People announce free online ergonomic advice clinics to create more healthy work spaces at home.

Ergonomic expert and Posture People

MD, Jo Blood, has created the clinic to tackle negative side-effects associated with sitting incorrectly. She said: “As working from home becomes more

common, it’s important people have a

suitable workstation to reduce the risk

of long-term health damage, which we

know is exacerbated by sitting for long periods of time at a computer.

“With so many people working from home without adequate equipment,

it’s time they took action to improve their working environment and time

for businesses to step up and provide

remote staff with the same level of care

they receive in the office,” added Blood.

Posture people also offer advice and

have many resources available on their

website. To book your free space at the next working at home clinic on Friday Brighton-based

Monthly News

ergonomic experts Posture People

are helping people

working from home

to create a more comfortable and safe home working station using their new free online clinic. The clinic will run fortnightly by MD and professional workstation assessor, Jo Blood.

The workshop has been created

following demand for advice following

the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown, which has resulted in many more

people working from home. Recent

12 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

research found only 13% of people

17th July, sign up here.

working remotely have access to a

home office and another survey found

half of home workers are experiencing more physical pain since they started working at home.

Posture People’s free clinic will share expert advice on how to improve

posture and productivity using everyday objects while working from a kitchen or dining room table. Participants will also have the opportunity to ask questions about their home workstations and

personal aches and pains caused by working at the kitchen table.

Jo Blood

SBT FINANCE

CAPITAL GAINS TAX: WHY SELL NOW?

BY ELIAS PAOUROU, QUANTUMA ADVISORY LIMITED

WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE INVESTING?

BY MHA CARPENTER BOX

SBT FINANCE SPONSORED BY:

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 13

Capital Gains Tax: why sell now?

For many businesses,

Finance

the last few months have caused

enormous challenges and depending on

the sector you operate in, these may

either have been insurmountable or the

consequences of recovery will be felt for many months to come.

We are helping businesses in these

situations all the time, through accessing Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan

Scheme (CBILS) funding, restructurings or accelerated disposals.

However, there are many businesses

who have retrenched, refocussed their

cost bases and either maintained or, in

some sectors, seen revenues grow as the economy changed. For some, this will be a temporary benefit, whilst for others this may well be a step change that allows

them to embark on growth in a new market economy post Coronavirus (COVID-19).

14 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

Putting your plans on ice

Are Capital Gains Tax (CGT) changes

comes out of lockdown might seem

your plans?

Selling your business as the world

like flight of fancy, especially with the news constantly telling us that the

recessional consequences of lockdown will be on a historic scale. Who would even want to buy your business

anyway and surely, anyone who would, is not going to pay the price that they might have paid in January?

Of course, there are always buyers in any market, but headline prices

are under pressure, even amongst

businesses that have performed well during the pandemic.

So that’s simple then. For anyone selling their business your plans are now on

hold. COVID-19 won’t be here forever

and you can ride it out for a couple more years, postpone your retirement plans and that trip of a lifetime. Sorted.

Or is it that simple?

coming? And how might it impact

On Monday 13 July, the Chancellor of

the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, sent a letter to the “Office of Tax Simplification”.

In it, he requested a review of Capital

Gains Tax (CGT) with a view to making it simpler and smoother to use for

those interacting with it. Namely, those entrepreneurs who have spent their

business lives growing their company

and see it as their future retirement fund when they do finally sell.

At the end of a few short paragraphs

Rishi noted, “I would be interested in […] how gains are taxed compared to other types of income”. For all

business owners, these few words are potentially dynamite.

Most didn’t expect that the short paragraph in the Conservative’s

December manifesto to review CGT

FI NA NCE

On the 1st August Quantuma merged with AIM listed K3 Capital Group Plc in a deal worth up to £42m.

compelling proposition in the mid-market.

The merger will enable Quantuma to continue, at pace, to grow its diverse professional services offering with enhanced capabilities in restructuring, corporate finance, tax advisory, forensic accounting and expert witness services.

“Demand for Quantuma’s services is already high and we anticipate this gathering pace as the government withdraws its Covidrelated financial support. Becoming part of a listed plc will enable us to take on more significant mandates and provide greater access to larger corporates, both at home and overseas.

Quantuma managing director, Elias Paourou, said: “This is a significant milestone for both K3 and Quantuma. The combination of high quality businesses will provide an independent and

“It is very much business as usual for Quantuma. We will continue to develop our cross-border capabilities and are in advanced talks with a number of lateral hires to further strengthen our UK team.”

would come about within three

months, but it did, and in the March Budget the lifetime allowance for

Entrepreneurs’ Relief was slashed by 90%. This brief letter therefore

is a warning siren of a potential to

bring the taxation of capital gains in line with income. In other words, a

potential increase from 20% capital

gains tax (after the first £1 million of gain) to 45%.

Of course, there are no crystal balls

here, and a return to the early 2000s

and Taper Relief depending on length of ownership, would surely need to be factored in somehow for long-

term business owners? However, the

Government’s willingness to act quickly in a buoyant economy in March is fair

notice that change is coming potentially as soon as the chancellor sits down

after delivering his speech in October.

In many respects, the chancellor has few levers to pull here given existing

manifesto pledges regarding incomebased taxes and VAT rates, but with spending during the pandemic at

unprecedented levels, tax rises are inevitable for the near term. Whilst

increasing CGT from 20% to 45% may not yield the largest windfall for the

Treasury, aligning income and capital

Elias Paourou

future for your business, for yourself

rates produces an uplift in tax receipts

and for your family.

the complex world of tax legislation.

Take good advice, early

Come the Autumn Statement then, your

Our Corporate Finance team has

more than double and do so overnight.

business owners like you through all

So, for those businesses who have

you through your options.

the first half of 2020, undertaking a

We work closely with business owners

erosion caused by the pandemic may

exit options, as well as buyers who

saving in CGT (if acted upon now).

Parties Database looking for

whilst being seen as a simplification of

tax bill on selling your business may

survived and even thrived during

The key to all of this is good advice. decades of experience in advising

manner of transactions and navigating

disposal now may see that the value

and shareholders to understand their

be more than compensated for by a

have registered via our Interested

But time is of the essence. There are

opportunities to make acquisitions.

competition between them; they are

Get in contact with your local

trading dips are only temporary and are

we can help you with clear, objective

many active buyers out there; there is making allowances for the fact that

Quantuma contact to understand how

focussed on how you are coming out of

and empathetic advice.

during it. Yes, your headline price may

Elias Paourou

been in January, but you may net more

Quantuma Advisory Limited

now, rather than waiting for the world to

Mobile: +44 (0)7553456456

Equally, as an owner manager, you

37 Frederick Place, Brighton, BN1 4EA

business over the last few months and

www.quantuma.com

lockdown, rather than what happened be a little lower than it might have

Managing Director

proceeds into your pocket by exiting

Direct: +44 (0)1273 322400

‘return to normal’ after this pandemic.

may be exhausted by the challenges of

Elias.Paourou@Quantuma.com

have started to think about a different

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 15

What is sustainable investing?

You may have seen the terms Finance ‘Sustainable Investment’ or ‘Socially Responsible investment’ (SRI).

These are both ways of describing the criteria a professional Fund Manager will use in order to screen out or select the companies they invest in within the fund they manage.

In recent years, investors have increasingly been demanding that their money is invested in ways that reflect their values. There is a realisation that a large number of small investors can drive companies to take steps to improve the environment and make a positive impact on society.

However, investors also want to see a positive return for their investment.

Sustainable – or SRI investing – aims to achieve both of these things.

Forward thinking In the past the perception has been that funds that invest taking account of ‘values’ rather than just financial data would not perform as well as a fund that did not have the same restrictions.

The view was that by avoiding sectors like oil the potential for growth would be reduced. However, there is a growing realisation that behaviour which wastes

16 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

resources or is unethical is likely to lead to poor financial outcomes.

For example companies: •W ho have caused pollution •H ave been less than honest about their product •N ot treating their clients data with the care that they should have In this context, it seems reasonable that investing in companies with high standards in these areas could eliminate some of these potential risk factors. It therefore makes sense for investors worried about losing money on their investments.

Many investment professionals talk about Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors when selecting companies to invest in.

Examples of these factors are: Environmental • Climate change • Resource depletion • Waste • Pollution • Deforestation Social • Human rights • Modern slavery • Child labour

• Working conditions • Employee relations Governance • Corruption • Executive pay • Board diversity and structure • Political lobbying and donations • Tax strategy Fund Managers will often consider ESG factors to screen out or positively identify companies for investment. They do not necessarily choose companies which are completely perfect in every area (this might leave them with a very brief shortlist). However, the hope is that the additional oversight of the Fund Managers will encourage good behaviour and drive improvements in the business, leading to improved returns for investors, and improvements in the environment and in society.

Learn more about Sustainable Investing in our latest podcast.

If you are interested in investing in a way which better reflects your values and would like to consider this further, please get in touch with a member of our team 01903 534587.

SBT LEGAL

BROKEN CONTRACTS

BY JAMES O’CONNELL, MAYO WYNNE BAXTER LLP

SBT LEGAL SPONSORED BY:

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 17

Employment Law and the Recovery from Coronavirus: How should employers manage staff issues?

By Alex Jones, Managing Director, 365 Employment Law We are in a difficult

Legal

stage in the economic and public health

issues of COVID-19

for small and medium

size business owners. Certain areas were heavily impacted, including

catering and hospitality, temporary

recruitment, and travel and tourism.

As the pandemic took off in March,

I had employer client’s from various

areas, but particularly those from the

sectors I mention, faced with huge drop in turnover (almost overnight), and the

need to make immediate redundancies and in some cases, in order to avoid that, negotiate pay reductions by

consent with staff. The Coronavirus Job

Retention Scheme (CJRS), then put a lot of those decisions on hold.

Since the start of June, the economy has opened up in stages, but large

18 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

parts of the workforce are either not

back at work, or working from home.

Those areas that are back to full

attendance, including factories and warehouse based business, have

had to consider what protections and systems they need to put in place to protect staff. Sadly, in many cases,

systems have not been put in place, and lower paid staff have at times been exploited.

Much of the focus has been on direct

issues relating to staff, such as furlough, redundancies, phased returns etc.

It is also important for employers to consider related issues relating to

employment rights, some of which will not immediately come to mind: Health and Safety at Work

The Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) requires all employers to operate a safe

system of work. The specific application

of that to the return to work and Covid-19 needs to be considered by employers.

That should include a detailed risk

management plan, that focuses on the

specifics of their business/workplace and not just based on general guidelines eg 1

metre plus. Employers should think about the risk areas for possible transmission of COVID-19 and how those can be

mitigated. A failure to do this could result in an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive in the event of an outbreak.

The Commute to Work

Employers should appreciate that

providing a safe workplace, can also extend to the worker’s commute to

work. Eg an office that dramatically reduces transmission risk is not enough, if workers attend the

workplace, for example, via crowded

public transport. Working out mitigation plans in that regard eg later starts,

should be considered by all employers.

LEGA L

Working Parents

Make Reasonable Adjustments to assist

workplace area is open as normal,

the situation where, as

Employers should consider what

local lockdown is in place. Employees

into the workplace,

made given the ongoing situation, and

A dismissal as a result of that would

part reduced basis) could affect workers

happen again, even at a local level.

those staff have the relevant qualifying

with their normal hours. Employers

might consider working from home on

reduced through redundancies, to focus

avoiding escalation of their condition.

possible, and be alive to the possibility

them up to discrimination and/or unfair

Redundancy Selection after Furlough

unfair dismissal claims will be lower, and

in the year when the CJRS Scheme

will not necessarily be the same in the

Employers may face

with that disability in the workplace.

but employees live in an area where a

staff are brought back

reasonable adjustments need to be

will not, in law, be able to attend work.

School and Nursery closures (even on a

what they will do should lockdown’s

likely be in unfair dismissal, assuming

ability to attend the office in accordance

Eg An employee with extreme anxiety

employment.

may be inclined, if numbers need to be

a semi-permanent basis a means of

Employers should be as flexible as

on those employees first. This could open

that the bar for reasonableness in any

dismissal claims.

Redundancies are inevitable later

justification for dismissal pre-Covid 19,

Disability Discrimination

ends. Employers should always have a

current environment.

of staff who would be classed as

and should be cautioned against

Please always take advice.

of the Equality Act 2010. I have seen

placed on furlough previously should be

Alex Jones

Most employers will have members

transparent and fair selection process,

having a Disability for the purposes

automatically assuming that employees

a focus from employers on those

top of the list for redundancy selection.

365 Employment Law Solicitors

directly affected by COVID19 eg with

Worker attendance and local

ajones@365employmentlaw.co.uk

disability, the employer has a Duty to

A situation could arise where the

with a disability who are potentially

lung conditions. If an employee has a

quarantines

Tel: 01903 863284

www.365employmentlaw.co.uk

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PEOPL E MAN AGE M E NT & R EC R U ITM E N T

Post-Brexit work visa system

Six things that we did (and didn’t) learn from the Home Office’s “Further Details” document on the post-Brexit work visa system.

On 13 July 2020 the Home Office published Legal its 130-page “Further Details” document for the UK’s post-Brexit points-based immigration system. It was a release hotly anticipated by stakeholders, not least because of the amount of detail we are waiting on. Here’s a run down of what we did, and didn’t, learn. These are draft proposals, but most if not all of them are likely to translate in to final outcomes.

The system of sponsorship will remain largely the same as the current one We had been promised a more streamlined and user-friendly sponsorship system for employers, but delivery of this seems a long way off.

20 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

Short of confirming that employers will not need to advertise for four weeks or get an approval to sponsor an individual from a monthly allocation (which we already knew), there is nothing to indicate the system will be meaningfully different to now, come January 2021.

(General) and Tier 2 (Intra-Company Transfer) sponsored work visas will be rebranded as “Skilled Worker” and “Intra-Company Transfer” visa routes.

That’s a shame, as it means employers new to sponsorship will need to get to grips with an online interface that is unlikely to feel either intuitive or familiar, and existing sponsors won’t see the improvements we were hoping for. Not yet, anyway.

Any employers already licensed to sponsor Tier 2 (General) and/or Tier 2 (Intra-Company Transfer) visas under the current system will be automatically granted licences for the new/rebranded visas. There’ll be no bonus of an extended licence period though.

Expiry dates will remain four years from the date the most recent/current licence was granted.

Rebranding, and the automatic transfer of sponsor licences It’s now official. The current Tier 2

Pay remains fundamental As with now, and notwithstanding the emphasis placed on ‘skills’ as being the

LEGA L

key driver for sponsored work visas, it’s still the money that really talks.

The minimum skill level for the sponsored ‘Skilled Worker’ visa will, in fact, be dropping (from graduate, to A-level or equivalent). Unchanged though will be the requirement for a sponsor to demonstrate that a worker will be paid at or above a minimum level. This will be the higher of the applicable “going rate” for the job, and the visa’s own “general threshold”. In the vast majority of cases the latter will be £25,600, and things get complicated when you start to delve in to trading points, and other eligibility criteria, that allow for a salary of less than the two applicable standard minimums (more on that immediately below).

Pay gets complicated Unfortunately, given its overall importance, identifying whether the salary you will pay for a job will be sufficient to get a visa could get very complicated indeed under the reformed system.

For a Skilled Worker visa, the minimum will never drop below £20,480. This is the floor below which the Home Office will not grant the visa. And £20,480 will be far from the norm. For someone to qualify for a Skilled Worker visa for a job paying between £20,480 and the usual £25,600 minimum, they will need to demonstrate some pretty specific attributes.

New entrants One route is by demonstrating that they are a ‘new entrant’. This is another expression that employers new to sponsorship will need to get familiar with. It’s not a new concept, but there is an important new requirement to show that the individual will be working towards a ‘recognised profession’ in the role they are to fill.

PHDs Holding a PHD in a subject relevant to the job is another way. The devil is in the detail here though, as it is the employer/ sponsor that has to assess the relevance

of a given PHD to a job, and they must be ready to have this scrutinised by the Home Office later.

Things get even more complicated for part-time roles, but we’ll save that for another day.

Shortage Occupations Another familiar concept under the current system, but one which becomes increasingly important when free movement ends on 31 December 2021.

In essence, the job to be sponsored will either be on the (likely short) list, or it won’t.

Who will benefit from the “Health and Care” Skilled Worker visa?

Given its political importance, this newly announced subset of the Skilled Worker visa route was presented with much fanfare. It promised fast-track processing, reduced fees, and dedicated support, for workers in eligible roles in the health and social care sector.

However, we don’t yet have clear details as to who will qualify for it from 2021.

For now the list of qualifying jobs in the document is very limited, as the Home Office have opted to base it on the current graduate skills level requirement that will not apply under the new system (see “Pay remains fundamental” above).

The reason for this became clear on the day after the document was published, when the Home Office announced that this visa would in fact be available from early August 2020 (seemingly only for those jobs which meet the graduate level skill requirement that will remain until the end of the year). We have to wait for confirmation of what the expanded, A-Level or equivalent, list will look like for 2021 and beyond, but clearly even that may leave out many frontline care roles that will still need to be filled from somewhere over the coming years.

Listed health and educations jobs A new concept, which will involve demonstrating that the job to be filled is on the specific list. This triggers a requirement to pay at least the relevant national pay scale rate for the job, to meet the ‘going rate’ requirement.

Percentages headache This is where it gets tricky, because in addition to the fact that the above criteria provide differing levels of points with which to top up a (up to 20 point) deficiency in the score for salary, the actual deficit (as a percentage of the standard pay minimum) can differ, depending on which of the two pay measures (‘going rate’ and ‘general threshold’) you are looking at. You have to satisfy both, by the way.

Here’s an, all too plausible, example. You wish to sponsor an individual for a job for which the stipulated ‘going rate’ for a visa is £28,000. Your job only pays £20,000 a year. Before you lose all hope, you spot that the person you wish to sponsor qualifies as a ‘new entrant’. This means she just has to be paid at least 70% of the ‘going rate’. That’s £19,600 and so your £20,000 salary is sufficient on this measure. However, when you come to look at the ‘general threshold’ pay requirement things go awry. This is because a ‘new entrant’ still has to be paid at least 80% of the ‘general threshold’. That’s the £20,480 (80% of £25,600) floor below which the pay for a Skilled Worker visa holder cannot drop. So your salary for the job is ok for the ‘going rate’ test, but about £500 short for the ‘general threshold’, so the candidate/ job won’t qualify.

Under what rules will visa applications need to be made?

Again, this remains to be seen. So while employers do now have a clear basis on which to start planning and preparing for 2021 (and with only a few months left they should be) there is a whole raft of information and rules that we do not yet have and which are required in order for the system to function correctly. We can but hope that the, substantial, “further detail” will be provided very soon.

Listen to Adam Williams on Bloomberg Radio discussing the new points-based system here.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 21

Contract issues?

Call us to discuss your options 0800 84 94 101

www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk 22 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

SBT PROPERTY

GREEN HOME GRANTS NEWSLETTER

BY STEPHEN CHIPP, TOWN & COUNTRY

“BUILDING SURVEYING IS BORING”...?

BY BEN ANDERSON BSC (HONS) MRICS

SBT PROPERTY SPONSORED BY:

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 23

PRO PE RT Y

Green Homes Grants newsletter

Some welcome news for landlords! The Government is launching ‘Green Homes Grants’ which landlords can take advantage of.

Homes currently have to be an E Property energy efficiency rating or above in order for a tenancy to be granted unless there is an exemption (very few properties will apply!). However, with the drive to be more environmentally friendly the UK Government has stated that by 2025 all properties must be a D rating or above and then by 2030 at least a C rating or above.

24 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

This does cause some issues with the types of properties we have within Brighton and Hove as some of the more obvious works simply cannot be carried out – due to listed or conservation area status.

detail which will be forthcoming toward the end of August, I believe.

However I would urge you to take advantage of the new scheme if applicable as potentially the UK Government will pay 2/3 of the cost of works to improve energy efficiency ratings. However the devil will be in the

COURTS ARE OPEN FOR POSSESISON CLAIMS FROM THE END AUGUST

Please check the UK.GOV website and search for Green Homes Grant for more information.

I am proud of the fact that Town and Country Property Services worked hard with both client and tenant alike over these

past four months and as a result, by and large, have had few significant problems with tenants plunging into arrears.

We took a very human approach and dealt with each tenant on a case by case basis and it would appear that this paid dividends for our clients – particular when reading about huge arrears building across the country. We are not counting our chickens however and will continue to work with both sides if and when problems occur.

THE MARKET Following recent newsletters to our clients where I have had to temper expectation on rental demand I have to say that over the past 2-3 weeks we have never been so busy with new applications!

Tenants have given notice and in some cases we have had 3-4 people wanting to take the property at full asking price within a day of it being on the market.

This is welcome relief for those clients whose properties came available and hopefully means that the predicted downturn will not be as bad as originally thought. In fact, the Bank of England announced recently that the downturn would not be as bad as originally feared.

Brighton and Hove will remain a long term attractive proposition for residential lettings. If you require any assistance for your residential property management do not hesitate to give us a call.

Stephen Chipp 01273 771977 www.brightonlettings.co.uk

Stephen Chipp

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 25

PRO PE RT Y

“Building surveying is boring”...?

A stark realisation or common misconception?

By Ben Anderson BSc (Hons) MRICS I recently came across an online Property article and blog discussion based on professional construction and real estate roles.

The discussions outlined the typical work undertaken, salary expectations etc. with the intention of advising undergraduates on a career path. I was surprised to read that a career in building surveying is commonly considered boring.

This got me thinking, is this true?

Or, is the role of a building surveyor misunderstood and hence leading the next generation into other construction/real estate professions that are perceivably more exciting, such as project management or as somebody interestingly suggested, quantity surveying?!

So what does a building surveyor do?

The dreaded question… Having studied building surveying at university and being in the profession for a decade, I have still not perfected my elevator pitch.

The public generally perceive building surveyors to be encountered when purchasing a residential property and often at the inconvenience of the vendor and purchaser. Whilst some companies specialise in this field, for the majority of surveyors this is a very small part of the workload.

The typical role of a building surveyor is

26 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

extremely broad and diverse and covers both the commercial and residential sectors including: • Project management • Dilapidations • Building inspection (Technical due diligence) • Planned maintenance reporting • Contract administration • Party wall advice (Under Party Wall etc.

Act 1996) I often find that given the huge variety of duties performed by a building surveyor, industry professionals often find it difficult to comprehend exactly what we do, let alone the wider property community.

In my opinion building surveying is far from being a boring profession. A career in this field will enable a diverse range of work meaning no two days are the same. Additionally, you have the choice to specialise in a service line if that is your preference.

Trained chartered building surveyors can be found working in all corners of the globe albeit under different titles.

I have been given the opportunity to inspect and work on a range of buildings both in Europe and across Oceania and Asia. The role often requires our team to be out on site inspections, frequently entering parts of buildings that the public will never see. The profession can offer extensive opportunities and be a fulfilling and exciting career choice for the practically

minded person.

Shared here, is a snapshot of my (admittedly more exciting) experiences working as a building surveyor and highlights the work you could be involved with.

Technical Due Diligence (Commercial Building Survey) In 2016, I was approached by a potential purchaser to inspect and report on three Hotels in Wellington and Queenstown, New Zealand. This involved a thorough inspection of all the buildings and assessing the condition of the building fabric. The evenings and weekend spent white water rafting and skiing weren’t part of the inspection but a perk of the job!

In 2017, I was engaged by a potential purchaser to inspect a 5* Luxury Island Resort in the Maldives. This involved a comprehensive inspection of all the buildings and services on the island which meant five days staying at the luxurious resort. As several of the buildings were built into the sea bed, it also included diving underwater to assess the condition of the structural timber posts.

Project Management / Contract Administration In 2013, I was involved with a feasibility study, full design and project management role on a significant historical Town Hall building in Sussex, England. The works included installing glazed pavement lights above the steps to highlight an area of the

P RO PE RTY View down to central Queenstown

Access to the overwater structures

building where 17 Protestant women were martyred in the 14th century. The stakes for delivering this job on time and within budget were therefore even more crucial.

From 2017-2019, I have been involved with the specification and project management of the external repair works to arguably three of London’s most significant and well-known historic buildings across the city and west end. These projects have involved liaison with specialist consultants and engaging with the local government and historical officers.

From 2012-2015, I was involved with large external repair and maintenance projects at the Brighton Marina, England. Who wouldn’t enjoy completing an inspection by the seaside? In the summer at least…

Dilapidations (Landlord & Tenant) In 2016, I provided strategic dilapidation advice and negotiation for the Queensland Government, Australia. Several premises were consolidated to one large purpose

Glazed pavement light highlighting the culturally significant stepped access

built building. This yielded significant multimillion dollar savings for the Government and tax payer.

In 2017, I advised one of the globe’s largest nutrition and hygiene brands on their potential dilapidation options and liability for relocating their London HQ to elsewhere in Europe.

Forward Planned Maintenance In 2014, I undertook a maintenance plan for a police building which transpired to be the police riot training facility for the London Olympics in 2012, deep beneath the ground in the Sussex countryside.

In 2015, I undertook a planned preventative maintenance report on a government building in the Northern Territory, Australia. This provided an exciting new experience visiting the area and surrounding national parks - one I would never have achieved otherwise.

If the above experiences sound interesting, and you think you could see yourself as a ‘boring’ building surveyor but would like some more information about

the role, then feel free to get in touch.

About Crossley Anderson Ltd Crossley Anderson is a privately owned and professionally led property development and building consultancy, with its senior management team’s experience behind some of the most acclaimed residential and commercial assets in London and Sussex. Services include: • Project Management • Employers Agent / Contract Administration • Development Monitoring • Technical Due Diligence Surveys (commercial) • Dilapidations • Party Wall Services • Defect Advice For more details visit www.crossleyanderson.com or contact grant@crossleyanderson.com | ben@crossleyanderson.com Ben Anderson BSc (Hons) MRICS Director Crossley Anderson Ltd

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 27

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SBT SALES & MARKETING

GROWING YOUR COMPANY DURING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC

BY MATT TURNER, THE CREATIVE GROUP

THE POWER OF VIDEO MARKETING

BY THE VLOG ACADEMY

SBT SALES & MARKETING SPONSORED BY:

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 29

PEOPL E MAN AGE M E NT & R EC R U ITM E N T

Growing your company during a global pandemic

We had the pleasure of interviewing Sussex-based Entrepreneur and CEO of The Creative Group, Matt Turner. A truly refreshing, open, honest conversation and great to hear some real positivity during what has been a challenging period for most of us.

Sales & Marketing

Tell us about

three I acquired over the past decade.

I started Creative

profitable has grown yea on year over

Creative Pod?

Pod back in 2006 in my bedroom. I was

Every single company in the group is the past 5 years.

20 at the time, had no clients, little

Fast forward 14 years and we are now

class, marketing solutions that were

agencies in Sussex with a wonderful

bullshit and waffle that you find with so

talented individuals who always go

money but a vision to provide first

one of the fastest growing marketing

affordable and creative with out the

team of hard working, passionate,

many marketing agencies.

the extra mile for our clients. Over

Creative Pod is one of six companies

awards, grown the business in 12

Group. Three of the companies in the

raised over £1m for charities across

that period of time we’ve won multiple

that I own that sits within The Creative

countries round the world and have

Group I started from scratch, the other

Sussex over the past decade. This is

30 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

something we are extremely proud

of and is the foundation for what we stand for as a business.

Marketing is often seen by many as a “fluffy” expense that is often difficult to understand and hard to work our

a ROI. That’s where we are different.

Creative Pods core service is that we become our clients marketing

department for a fixed monthly fee.

We take out the faff, join up the dots and deliver creative solutions that are tangible and deliver a positive

ROI. Our continued growth and client

retention is a testament to the fact we

SAL ES & MARKE TI NG

actually deliver and understand our

Covid-19 has been a tough time for

If you could name one, what would be

“Entrepreneur”.

adapted and continued to grow

Have a plan. Set goals and don’t bite

clients and their business. We talk

Tell us about the culture you have created in Creative Pod for both

staff and clients, I understand your mantra is “no dickheads allowed”?

In business the one thing that slows you down, takes you off track or

makes you doubt yourself is those dickheads that we come across in

our every day life. We all know what a dickhead looks like and we can

even be one ourselves. That’s why the businesses mantra is “no dickheads” and we have it printed 10m long on

the wall in our office. It applies to the

companies staff, management, clients and suppliers.

I urge any business owner reading this to sit down and write a list of every

single dickhead in their personal and professional life. Then give yourself

3 months to remove them from your life and I promise that you will see a double digital increase in your

bottom line, not to mention a positive improvement in your sanity!

many businesses, how have you during this period?

your top marketing tip for our readers? off more than you can chew. Slow,

Covid has enabled us to solve so

steady, consistent marketing will always

otherwise couldn’t be fixed. Covid

blow budgets, you build traction and

internal communication and it has

content. And ultimately it it’s not working

many issues in the business that

win the day as it will ensure you dont

has focused the team, it’s improved

momentum with your messaging and

enabled us to implement a really

either stop it or change it.

I think but has also opened clients

What is next for Creative Pod?

appreciate what we do for them

continue our acquisition trail and hoover

proactive culture in the business.

eyes so that they actually see and

Over the next 24 months we plan to

especially during difficult times.

up Sussex-based marketing and web

We’ve been extremely positive,

Our acquisition blue print is tried and

free advice to people. Our continued

to get what they want and need from

local business community and local

owners who are desperate to get off the

have won a new client a week since

for this. So if you run a local marketing

have recruited four more members of

want a change of direction get in touch!

are furloughing staff, going down to

Contact matt@creativepod.net or visit

agencies that turnover £100k-£250k.

proactive and have given heaps of

tested, works, and enables all parties

commitment to our clients, the

it. There are so many Sussex agency

charities is illustrated by the fact we

merry go round and we have a solution

lock down, we’ve grown by 35% and

agency, are fed up of the rat race and

staff. When many agencies in Sussex 4 days weeks or cutting salaries we

www.creativepod.uk.com

complete opposite.

Call 01293 908100

have bucked the trend and done the

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 31

PEOPL E MAN AGE M E NT & R EC R U ITM E N T

Watch our interview here

The power of video marketing In this month’s issue, we hear all about the power of video marketing from Founder of Hove’s The Vlog Academy, Mi Elfverson.

Sales & Marketing

Could you give us a brief overview of what The Vlog Academy is and how it was created?

The Vlog Academy has two departments; one for training and one for production, but essentially it’s all about raising businesses’ profiles online through video marketing. The beautiful thing is, that nowadays anyone can create their own videos, because we all have a camera in our pocket in the form of our mobile phone. Our training department provides online training, webinars and workshops to teach business owners and staff about using their smartphones to create videos that can be uploaded to social

32 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

media as a means of keeping in touch with clients and providing updates, news or whatever else is important for that business to stay connected and visible online. Of course, for those who don’t want to create those videos themselves, we can provide a bespoke production team with professional equipment to film it all. We can take care of the strategy, planning, filming and editing as well as putting it all out there in a beautiful way.

I started The Vlog Academy around six years ago after many, many years in high-end film, TV and commercial production. I have worked in Stockholm, Los Angeles, New York and London, but now we are based in Hove - actually…

Why is video so important as a marketing tool?

Video is regarded as the most powerful online marketing content you can have, especially where SEO is concerned.

Take YouTube for example - YouTube is owned by Google so everything you do on YouTube will be picked up on by Google. If you search for something on Google, you will find that there is often a YouTube video link at the top of the search results. It won’t be a Vimeo link or one from any other streaming platform, it will always be a YouTube link. This is a massive trick that a lot of small businesses miss out on! They can actually place themselves really high up in a Google search by creating short videos and uploading them to YouTube.

SAL ES & MARKE TI NG

powerful as a marketing tool than a regular blog, tapping into that Google SEO and ranking really well.

What are your most important brand values?

Mi Elfverson

On social media, video is really powerful too. People love watching and sharing videos, and the algorithms will push videos forward more than just written text or images. It’s also great for credibility and trust. When you go out there and share your knowledge and expertise, people will start remembering you. They’ll understand more about what you do and they’ll soon enough see you as an expert in your field.

It is a very strong marketing tool to have for any kind of business, and even a start-up can create videos of decent quality from home, their office or wherever they are, on their smartphone.

What’s the difference between a video and a vlog?

When speaking of video, we’re talking more about the format as a moving image, while a vlog (video blog) is related more directly to blogging. A written blog (web log) is like a journal, but can be focused on sharing pointers in a business, allowing you to teach something or give an update or the latest news in a blog format. Blogs are really good for SEO as well. The good thing about a vlog, is that it can simply be a filmed version of your blog.

With this you get two versions, and as mentioned before, video is even more

If we talk about core values, I think – disregarding the normal ones that we all would strive to have – the most important thing that features within The Vlog Academy is that we are a lot about authenticity. It’s kind of a very trendy word at the moment, being authentic, but it is also at the core of what we do. Our training is about finding and developing your very best version of yourself. We give you the confidence to go out there as yourself - we’re not trying to teach you to be something that doesn’t fit in with your brand. Aligning your own personal core values and your brand values is going to make it so much easier to step out with confidence and talk about your brand.

Do businesses need to invest a lot of money into their videos?

Yes and no. I think it’s really important to make sure that your brand is represented by quality videos. This means everything from your background and setting to the quality of your sound and the footage. What people see in your videos, is how they’ll interpret your brand and so you might want to put some money aside for some professionally filmed videos to set the standards for your brand. Those videos might rest on your website or could be more of a promotional video that you can use for a longer period of time. In between those, you ideally need to have shorter vlog-type videos. That’s why it is so great to learn how to do them yourself on your smartphone. Once you have mastered those, you can batch shoot them and drip feed them to your audience over a longer period of time – that’s how you connect with people on a deeper level and create more authentic videos where you really show off your expertise and knowledge.

What can you do to enhance your video when filming from home?

A really quick tip for anyone planning to shoot videos from home (or even if you are on a zoom call, live interview or anything of the sort) is to think about your set up. Again, everything the viewer sees within your video frame represents your brand. It’s important that you de-clutter the background and that you feel comfortable with yourself.

It’s similar to attending a networking meeting – you wouldn’t go without thinking about what you are wearing.

It’s all about boosting your own confidence and feeling your best. Also always remember to have light in your face and raise your camera up to eye level. Video is a lot to do with a having a personal connection. Don’t see the audience as a crowd of a thousand people but rather as a personal conversation with one individual. I would also suggest not being overly scripted or corporate in your tone!

What does the future hold for The Vlog Academy?

I’m very fortunate to be in a growing market space. I love what I do, so I hope to continue teaching more people to get camera confident, how to raise the quality of their own videos and generally support businesses to increase their online presence.

How can people reach The Vlog Academy?

Here at The Vlog Academy, we are more than happy to have a no obligation chat about ways to raise your online visibility and discuss what type of videos would work for your business. We can offer a combination of training and production – it’s all bespoke and we always look at what would be most valuable to your business. www.vlogacademy.com

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 33

SPONSORED BY:

MEDIA SPONSOR:

CHARIT Y GOLF DAY FRIDAY

11 SEPT 2020 TH

7.45am 9.00am 2.30pm 4.00pm

AT MID SUSSEX GOLF CLUB, SPATHAM LANE, DITCHLING

Registration; Coffee & Bacon Rolls Shotgun Start Two-Course Meal Presentations, Prizes & Raffle

Prizes for:

PER TEAM OF 4 PLAYERS

• Nearest the Pin • Longest Drive • Nearest the Line • Winning Teams

For more details or to register your team, please email Stella at events@rockinghorse.org.uk

34 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

£280

SBT CHARITY

WIN A £1 MILLION HOUSE FOR AS LITTLE AS £2

ALL IN AID OF CHESTNUT TREE HOUSE

RUNNING A CHARITY DURING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC

BY RYAN HEAL, CEO OF ROCKINGHORSE CHILDRENS CHARITY

CHOSEN CHARITY PARTNER:

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 35

WIN a £1 million house for as little as £2!

Local hospice user urges people to enter £1 million house prize draw for charity.

There is currently a

Charity

prize draw to win a

£1 million house for

as little as £2. 10% of the money raised will

go to Chestnut Tree House (a charity

providing hospice care for children and young people based in Sussex) and St Barnabas House (a charity providing

palliative care to adults in the Worthing area). Becca Torricelli, a long-standing user of the children’s hospice, talks

36 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

about the importance of Chestnut Tree House and what this money would mean to the charity.

The ‘Dream Home Prize Draw’ to win a £1.25 million house is now well under

way. The general public can purchase as many £2 tickets as they like to

be in with the chance of winning a

stunning four-bedroom seaside house in West Sussex. 10% of the sales will be going to local hospices, Chestnut

Tree House – who care for children

and young people with life-threatening conditions, and St Barnabas House – who provide palliative to adults

with life-limiting illnesses, both at the hospice and at home.

West Sussex man, Peter Pearce,

decided to launch the once-in-a-lifetime prize draw after seeing a crisis appeal from the hospices earlier this year.

Learning that the Covid-19 pandemic

CHA RITY Chestnut has always been a home

away from home for my family and

me. The house is beautifully decorated and there are so many fun things to do for children of all ages and abilities:

there are music, cinema, and sensory rooms, a massive garden with a play park, and you can do all manner of arts and crafts, to name but a few

things. Of course, the medical aspect is there, but it’s done very discreetly and respectfully so that you don’t really notice that side of things.”

We asked her how beneficial the

house prize draw will be for Chestnut Tree House:

“It costs £4.6 million each year to Becca Torricelli

provide all Chestnut’s specialist care services. They receive very little

she was five years old, when the

hospice first opened in 2003. “My

condition affects every part of my

daily life. I use an electric wheelchair 24/7 as I have never been able to

walk. All my muscles are extremely

weak so I need help with pretty much everything you can think of; not just getting dressed and out of bed in

the morning, but simple things like

picking up a glass of water, or being had caused the charity’s fundraising

income to plummet by 70%, he wanted to do something to help, to ensure the hospices can continue to be there for

local children, adults and families who need them, now and in the future.

A long-standing user of Chestnut Tree House, Becca Torricelli, has spoken

out about the ‘life-saving’ impact the

charity has had on her and her family, and how this prize draw will help.

Becca has a rare neuromuscular

condition called Spinal Muscular

Atrophy, and has been receiving respite care from Chestnut Tree House since

passed the TV remote. At five years old, my mum was doing all of my care, as well as looking after my

two-year-old little brother. As you can imagine, this was absolutely

exhausting for her and things were pretty tough at home, but going to Chestnut was like a safe haven for

us all. We used to go and stay as a

family, and while my mum knew that I was being cared for by medical

professionals, it gave us all time to be just that – a family.

“I think there are some

misconceptions around hospice

environments; people often think they are very medical, scary places, but

government funding, so rely almost

solely on fundraising and donations to continue supporting families like mine in truly difficult times, and they’ve been hit so hard by the

pandemic. Most children cared for by Chestnut Tree House are vulnerable and will therefore have been

shielding since March, most likely

without care. Many families will be on their knees after such a long period without support, which is why it’s

imperative, now more than ever, that the hospice can continue providing care, help and support. So please,

buy some prize draw tickets - you’ll be supporting an amazing charity,

and could win a £1 million house… what’s not to love?”

The Dream Home Prize Draw ends on 31st August and Peter Pearce hopes

to sell as many tickets as possible to support Chestnut Tree House and St

Barnabas House hospices. The higher

the total sales, the higher the donation to the charities; head over to

www.dreamhomeprizedraw.com to

buy your tickets now, and be in with the chance of winning a £1 million house!

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 37

C HA RI T Y

Running a charity during a global pandemic We speak to Ryan Heal CEO of Rockinghorse Children’s Charity.

“7pm – March 23rd 2020 – Lockdown.

Charity Running a charity has always been a balance between fundraising and over asking with the latter running the risk of alienating your market with untimely, insensitive asks.

This was different…Within 4 days of the lockdown being introduced, ALL of our fundraising events had been postponed or cancelled and we were facing a funding crisis never before seen in over 50 years of Rockinghorse.

During my tenure, I’ve always professed that its crucially important for charities to operate as businesses. This doesn’t necessarily have to affect your market profile, your cause or your engagement with supporters but it does make you more aware of your opportunities and threats just as you would see in the commercial world. I immediately took the decision to keep all staff on and not furlough, this enabled us to work with what market we had left and embark on a fundraising “push” that saw us achieve over £150,000 across April, May & June. As per the rules of the furlough scheme, none of our team would have been able to carry out any fundraising at all and the impact would have been felt far more keenly. I appreciate that Rockinghorse bucked the trend in this sense (locally) but it felt right to me that we were present in the market, engaging with our supporters that remained so keen to help and to maintain our support of those in our community that need our help the most, Covid or no Covid.

Continuing to operate during the initial phases of the pandemic enabled us to

38 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

get creative and launch many virtual fundraising initiatives. My team were / are utterly inspiring during this period and they were an honour to lead at a time of crisis. However, as is always the case, we completely rely on the goodwill of our supporters to continue our work. Unfortunately, we received no government support. Upon the Chancellors announcement on the 8th April that there would be a £750M “pot” available to the charity sector, many quickly commented that it was a drop in the ocean compared to the cliff edge the sector faced. Our supporters truly stepped up. From our corporate partners to our challenge event participants to our major donors and event organisers, the Rockinghorse family genuinely steered us through the first phase of this difficult period with a united sense of “we shall overcome!”

Our Coronavirus related projects included equipment; resource and innovative research into Covid-19 amongst teenagers in the region. This is groundbreaking research that will have

a major bearing on the future of how the virus is understood in the future. We were able to continue to support our key beneficiaries including the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital and The Trevor Mann Baby Unit at this time, alongside supporting our many County wide beneficiaries including Chalkhill – the only mental health unit in Sussex.

So, thank you to everyone that hosted an online quiz; ran a virtual 5k; set up an online auction or who just simply made a donation. We will be forever grateful. Now for the shameless plug as unfortunately we are by no means out of the woods.

All events that had originally been postponed to the Autumn are now having to be pushed back into 2021 creating a second black hole of funding for the Autumn / Winter. Our own second wave.

I personally and respectfully invite you to consider Rockinghorse for any charitable partnerships you are considering and would welcome the opportunity to speak to any Sussex business about who we are and what we do.”

SBT COVER FEATURE

CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF RIDGEVIEW IN 2020

WE HEAR FROM THE ROBERTS FAMILY

SBT COVER FEATURE SPONSORED BY:

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 39

C OVE R F E AT URE

Celebrating 25 years of Ridgeview in 2020 In an era where English wine is winning global accolades and English winemaking is now considered one of the most exciting new areas of growth within the world’s wine industry, there has been one family-run wine estate that has been a constant.

Cover Feature

Twenty-five years ago, the Roberts family

made their dream a reality by planting a vineyard in Sussex

and, from that point, helped pioneer a hugely burgeoning English sparkling

wine industry and in turn change the reputation of English wine.

40 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

In 2020 Ridgeview are celebrating

25 years of award-winning English

winemaking, headed up by second

generation CEO Tamara Roberts and her

brother, Head Winemaker Simon Roberts.

Nestled at the foot of the South Downs in Sussex in England, Ridgeview

has been at the forefront of crafting

traditional method English sparkling

wines solely from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Their wines have been regularly served at a

collection of Royal occasions, State Banquets and globally acclaimed restaurants. Ridgeview has been

a powerful force in the incredible

evolution of English Sparkling Wine

COVER FE ATU RE

since its inception 25 years ago, and it

continues to be an industry leader as an influential business and with the quality of wine being produced. The ultimate reward for their utmost dedication

was bestowed on Ridgeview when they were acclaimed ‘International

Winemakers of the Year’ in the IWSC,

a historical first for English Wine. 2019 continued to be a ground-breaking

year for Ridgeview, crowned No. 36 in the World’s Best Vineyards (the only

English winery to be listed) and CEO

Tamara Roberts elected as President

of the IWSC alongside being named as Sussex Businessperson of the Year.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 41

C OVE R F E AT URE

Celebrating 25 years of Ridgeview Throughout 2020, Ridgeview will be

celebrating 25 years, thanking those

that have been a part of their past, as well as nurturing the next generation of industry pioneers and wine

enthusiasts. Due to Covid-19 many of Ridgeview’s 25th Anniversary events have been put on hold until 2021,

including the brilliant Ridgefest music and street food festival in August.

However it has been a great year to

reflect on their amazing achievements of the past 25 years and more

importantly planning for exciting future expansion plans.

Tamara Roberts, CEO, says: “We are

very excited to celebrate Ridgeview’s

25th Anniversary in 2020. In a quarter of

a century, through dedication, hard work

42 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

and fun we have built our reputation

as one of England’s leading sparkling wine producers whilst remaining true to our values both as a family and as

a business. We’re extremely proud of

our incredible team and how much we

have achieved in a 1/4 century with the support of our customers and clients who have been a part of Ridgeview’s journey. We are now excited about

looking forward to the next 25 years by helping shape the future generation of the English wine industry.”

Throughout their anniversary

Ridgeview will be celebrating their philosphy ‘Life is for Celebrating’,

which is revealed in the inside of the

foil on opening every bottle. It is their

belief that all moments in our everday

COVER FE ATU RE

life are there for celebrating, whether it be the sun is out or the first time

catching up with family after spending time apart, celebrating the moments that matter.

Not only are Ridgeview passionate

about producing the highest quality sparkling wine they are involved a

national level of overall promotion of

best practice. From onset, Ridgeview

has worked very closely with the local education provider Plumpton College and employed many winemaking and viticulture graduates. Ridgeview is

also represented at board level on

of Wines of GB, Wine & Spirits Trade Association and involved with many local Sussex based business and tourisms bodies, including the

brilliant initiative Sussex Modern

linking Art, Wine and Landscape in our beautiful county.

In July after receiving the official

‘Go to go status’ from Visit Britain, Ridgeview have opened their Wine Garden adjacent to the vineyard.

Guests are invited to visit Ridgeview seven days a week for self-guided

tasting flights by the vines with

accompanied Sussex platters or

pre booked hampers. Safe socially

distanced tours have also resumed, operating with an insight into

sparkling wine production from vine

to glass, followed by a tutored tasting

with a member of the team. Ridgeview encourage visitors to come and enjoy their gorgeous views of the vines set amongst the South Downs National

Park whilst celebrating the success of

25 years of Ridgeview and the exciting future of English sparkling wine.

The Ridgeview story Ridgeview began as a dream in the

1990s by English husband and wife team Mike and Christine Roberts,

to create world-class sparkling wine on the foothills of the South Downs in Sussex. Ever the entrepreneurs,

Mike and Chris began an IT business in the 1980s in their front room,

and by the end of the decade, were the biggest IBM dealer in the UK. They were offered a take-over by an American computer business

that they couldn’t refuse and were bought-out in the early 1990s.

During the time of developing their IT business, they had lots to celebrate and discovered a joy of wine, in particular Champagne.

Once the business was sold,

retirement was never on the cards

as it wasn’t in either of their natures.

They originally mooted the idea of buying a vineyard in France but

did not want to leave their beloved

England. Mike thoroughly researched what the best wine would be to

make in the UK and would quote

that ‘it wasn’t rocket science’ that the best idea would be to follow in the footsteps of our nearest

most successful cool climate wine

region, our neighbours Champagne.

Their research found that Southern

England’s soils, geography, and cool climate were perfect for sparkling

wine production from the traditional

varieties Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. At the time it was a huge risk and virtually unheard of, to invest such a large amount of

time and resource into an English sparkling vineyard.

The perfect site was found near

the South Downs in Sussex and

production began. Not only was

a huge investment made into the

perfect site for the vineyards, but no expense was also spared creating

an at-the-time, one of England’s

biggest underground cellars, perfect for traditional bottle fermentation.

The original production was around 20,000 bottles. Once the first wine

was released in 2000, Ridgeview went onto win the UK Trophy for England’s Best Sparkling wine; international

awards and accolades soon followed.

Mike trained in Winemaking and Viticulture at Plumpton, the only

wine college in England, fortunately, 10 minutes from the vineyard.

Mike was soon joined by his son

Simon Roberts who developed an interest in the family business. At

the beginning of Ridgeview’s story,

they also were supported by the very experienced Winemaker Kit Lindlar, who Mike and Simon had trained under. Simon moved to Australia

to further his winemaking skills, it was there he met his soon-to-be

wife Mardi who also worked in the

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 43

C OVE R F E AT URE

that our whole English Wine Industry

prestigious list. Ridgeview sparkling

an area of excellence for world-class

prestigious occasions including

for the then national body, English

celebrations, Her Majesty’s Diamond

years and on the steering committee

Buckingham Palace including being

would become globally renowned as

wines have been served at many

sparkling wine. Mike was Chairman

the The Queen’s 80th Birthday

Wine Producers, a role he held for 10

Jubilee, and four State Banquets at

for the government national wine

served to Barack Obama.

often asked to speak on behalf of the

The company has grown to over

dedication, diligence, and the impact

of the family maintain leading

a Queens Award MBE in 2011 for

values are incredibly important

Industry. Mike sadly passed away in

through the whole business, all

from across the international wine

wider members of the family,

and the inspiration he provided to so

employee’s careers whilst at

standards reform policy. Mike was

wine industry. Mardi returned to

the UK with Simon, with a focus

on marketing, and is Ridgeview’s

Director of Communications still to

this day, 21 years later. Simon is now Head of Winemaking. and has had the responsibility for helping blend all Ridgeview’s wines from onset

resulting in remarkable consistency

in the quality, balance of Ridgeview sparkling wines.

In 2004 Mike and Chris’s daughter Tamara joined Ridgeview from a successful career in finance to

grow the family business. Tamara’s husband Simon Larder also joined as Technical Manager. The real pivotal moment in Ridgeview’s success came in 2010 when

Ridgeview was awarded the ‘Best

International Sparkling Wine’ in the Decanter World Wine Awards, the

first and only time a wine other than Champagne has won this trophy.

The news rippled around the world and global export enquiries came

flooding in and Ridgeview’s export journey began.

Founder Mike Roberts was not just impassioned with the growth of

Ridgeview, it was always his intention

44 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

industry and as a testament to his

30 employees, with four members

he made, was the honour of receiving

roles within the business. Family

his service to the English Wine

to Ridgeview and they flow

November 2014 and tributes flowed

team members are valued as

world, praising his pioneering spirit

and Ridgeview love to nurture

many people.

Ridgeview and beyond. Ridgeview

Tamara took over as CEO of

winery on-site which includes

Along the way, in the pioneering

capacity to store up to one million

father, not only has Tamara grown

fermentation.

producer, she is on the board of Wine

In general the winery is open every-

GB awarded Sussex Businessperson

appointment. The company sees a

English producer to be awarded

beautiful area of Southern England.

the International Wine and Spirit

that England is capable of producing

has recently built an additional

Ridgeview from her father in 2013.

an underground cellar with the

strength and determination of her

bottles during their secondary

Ridgeview into a globally acclaimed & Spirits Trade Association, Wines

day for drop-in visitors and tours by

of the Year in 2019 and the only

great feature in wine tourism in the

the prestigious title of President of

Now that the industry has proven

Association in 2020.

world-class sparkling wines they look

Ridgeview has led the way in export,

global visitors to the region.

over 17 countries around the globe.

Summer opening times are:

accolades along the way including

Friday, Saturday & Sunday:

with our wines now being sent to

forward to attracting national and

Ridgeview has achieved many global

Monday – Thursday: 11am – 4pm

the current IWSC International

11am – 6pm

English Wine) and Number 36 Best

www.ridgeview.co.uk

Winemaker of the Year (A first for

Vineyard in the World to Visit, the

only English Vineyard included in this

SBT PEOPLE MANAGEMENT & RECRUITMENT

ALL ABOARD BUT ALL CHANGE! RETURNING TO WORK AFTER LOCKDOWN

SBT PEOPLE MANAGEMENT & RECRUITMENT SPONSORED BY:

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 45

PEOPL E MAN AGE M E NT & R EC R U ITM E N T

All aboard but all change!

As the lockdown restrictions ease, you may be asking your teams to return to the workplace after a period of working from home or being on furlough.

HR

However, as we all

our tips to keep your team working

Communication

going to be different

confidence in the new norm.

needs to be part of your HR strategy. Tell

know the return is to what you and

they were used to.

Teams may only be working with half

the original team or they may be facing a wall! They may be working alone in

offices or have big screens up between colleagues.

Individuals may not be able to make

their colleagues their cup of tea anymore

effectively whilst building their

Health & safety

There are many things you have to

consider surrounding H&S. The UK

Government has published 8 working

best out of your team? Read on for

46 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

What are the expectations on staff?

success measures. Will everyone be

read these thoroughly.

your team. By being transparent and

how will you ensure you still get the

immediate priorities and challenges?

and the self-employed – make sure you

previous colleagues will tell you!).

than likely to be ‘all change’. So

over the past few months. What are the

Set clear expectations around

guides to help employers, employees

Share your risk assessments and the

It may be back to work, but it is more

people what’s happened in the business

safely during coronavirus pandemic

(crikey I’m going to be thirsty if I have

to wait for me to make a tea – as many

Now more than ever communication

changes you’ve implemented with

clear you will build confidence in your team that they know you care and

communication, work priorities, and expected to work the same hours?

Will all the same projects and plans be

moving forward? Don’t let people make assumptions about anything that’s

unclear - answer those questions from the beginning.

are doing all that you can to protect

Consider your team and how they work

can run effectively.

member. If you know someone is anxious

them whilst ensuring your business

best. Adapt your style to fit the team

P EOP L E MAN AGEM EN T & R ECR UITM E NT

Theresa Cooper

have more regular check ins with them

than someone who is happy to be back.

If everyone is working different hours or

locations, staggered shifts etc., be clear on how and when they can reach you.

Keep aligned with your culture

Have purposeful meetings

I’m sure we’re all guilty – attending

meetings that we don’t need to be at and/ or not getting anything from the meeting.

So stop! Change your meetings to make them purposeful and effective.

and values

Firstly, set them for maximum 45

been impacted over the past few months

will ‘use’ that time – what a waste.

There’s no doubt the business will have

– this could be negatively or positively but either way changes will have happened

but do whatever you can to keep things aligned with your company culture.

If you used to have ‘food Friday’ what

does that look like on staggered shifts?

If you used to have ‘meet up Monday’ how can you ensure the team keep relationships strong?

minutes. Most are an hour so people Imagine the time you can save and get

back if you took at least 15 minutes off of each meeting!

Secondly, set a purposeful agenda, i.e.

‘meeting today to discuss xyz’ or ‘at the meeting we will Identify the best way to deliver our new initiative’. People know exactly what the purpose is and it is

clear whether or not they can add value.

Things will be different but it’s important

It will depend on your business as to

your business successful to date

need and will have but make sure for

to ensure the factors that have made

continue long into the future. Take some time to think about these things, make changes as appropriate and embed

them into the business keeping them at the forefront of people’s minds.

the amount and types of meetings you each meeting – whether that be a one to one, a team meeting or a companywide meeting the agenda is clear, the

attendees are appropriate and they don’t drag on for longer than they need to.

Recognise and reward

Accept some people are still juggling

more than they’d ever had to juggle –

with partners out of work, grandparents unavailable and kids at home.

Work with your team and understand their challenges to achieve a positive

outcome for both of you and at the same time recognise those achievements.

On a one to one basis and/or company wide – shout about the great things

people are achieving. Little acts like this encourage better performance from everyone else too which in turn will

increase the business’ whole productivity I hope you found this useful and it has

given you some areas to think about. If

you’re a business owner, finding yourself having to deal with some of these areas and you’d like some support, give us a

call. We can work with you to enable you to do business, not HR; refocusing your

time on the things you love and letting us take one thing off your to do list.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 47

We speak to Parasma Recruitment Recruitment

Tell us about

team’s passion and determination to

Recruitment

through. My knowledge of the industry

Parasma

I started Parasma

in November 2018

deliver on our mission has carried us has allowed me to put together a

team who have a great understand of

after being in the construction industry

both recruitment and the construction

18-year period. I worked with many

but my team understands that in

and invariably I felt unsatisfied. I knew

delivering for our clients is paramount.

way that treated the candidates with

Parasma Recruitment Modus Opernadi

rather than both like a potential

passion to deliver on our promises.

the challenge and prove my theory. As

How do you differentiate from other

blood, sweat and tears, especially at

As I said, I believe what sets us apart from

of my first child… anyone with kids will

sector is our extensive professional

across various different levels over an

industry. Yes, we do work long hours,

recruitment companies over the years

order to be successful in this industry

recruitment could be conducted in a

Everything we do is done under the

respect and the client like a partner,

of honesty, integrity, excellence and a

commission. So, I decided to take up with all startups, there’s been a lot of

Recruitment agencies in your sector?

the start (as it coincided with the birth

others is the construction recruitment

understand the strain here ha!) but my

knowledge of the industry itself.

48 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

We have a unique understanding of

myriad roles generated from this everchanging sector. My belief and my

experience is that the common opinion

of recruitment companies in my industry is that they are really just sales people who have very little experience of the

roles they are trying to fill and are very transactional focus… Parasma is the anthesis of this.

The only way we achieve my vision

for Parasma is by building long lasting relationships. This is done through

understanding the nuanced and specific needs of each of our clients across our diverse portfolio, ranging from small

family owned businesses to large publicly traded companies. It sounds simple but ultimately, we ensure we place the very

best candidates in each and every role.

P EOP L E MAN AGEM EN T & R ECR UITM E NT We are also passionate about bringing through the next generation of highlevel construction professionals. We

partner with our clients on campaigns to promote the construction industry and recruit the best talent coming through.

Many of those starting their careers

aren’t aware of the diversity of roles and the training available which could get them on their desired career track.

How has Covid-19 affected your

business and the industry? Have

you seen an increase in candidates looking for new roles?

In the short-term, the coronavirus

crisis has had a huge impact on the

recruitment industry as a whole. With many companies sole focus being on survival right now rather than

expansion. I’d be lying if I said it hasn’t

affected us but we have been fortunate to build strong relationships with some very well managed clients and we

is providing

investing heavily.

Proving just how important the industry is.

We have seen a huge increase in the number of candidates seeking new

roles. Some are

enquiring about the state of the

market as they’re worried about

their job security

Dan Cassidy

and some are seeking new

opportunity after losing their jobs. As you would expect, we are committed to helping as many people find new opportunities as we can.

are still seeing steady permanent and

Do you have any key advice top tips

our pipeline is getting stronger as the

First and foremost, I would advise them

contract work coming through and

pandemic appears to have passed its peak. As a slight aside, through the

whole crisis my staff have remained

positive and their desire to get back to work as a team and get through this

has impressed me immensely and I’m very proud of that.

Honestly, my current feeling is a stark

contrast to mid-March this year when COVID really hit. We had projects we had spent many weeks on suddenly

cancelled or put on hold. Of course, this is disheartening and hard to take but

took it on the chin and dusted ourselves off. We’re now working harder and

digging deeper than ever to make things work during this difficult time.

We know if we keep doing what

we do best we’ll come out of this

crisis stronger. Fortunately for us,

construction is an incredibly resilient industry and the current government

for candidates looking for a new role? to ensure they are utilising all available

channels to find their next opportunity.

Whether this is searching job boards, reaching out to their existing network or working with a recruiter. If you do

decide to work with a recruiter it can be tempting to take the volume approach, which has its benefits. However, be wary of sharing your CV with those

who do not understand your value and experience as they are unlikely to be

able to identify the right opportunities

for you and, even worse, will be unable to get your proposition right to a

potential employer, meaning you may

not even get the interview even if your

CV does get in front of hiring manager for your perfect role. If you work with Parasma you will receive industry

specific advice, a deep understanding of your background, knowledge of

what should be your next career move and we guarantee that you will be

What does the future hold for Paramsa Recruitment?

We want to continue to build our

company through broadening and

deepening our current relationships and adding new clients who are

a correct fit for Parasma and our

candidates. Accordingly, we want to build on our brand and become the market leader in our space, known

for efficient and effective, knowledgebased recruitment in Construction.

Our growth over the last 20 months

has exceeded my expectations and, like all business owners, I hope and

believe the future of my company is

bright. Even through the COVID crisis we are continuing to add high level talent to our team and my existing

team will continue to work fulfil our mission through our M/O honesty,

integrity, excellence and desire… this is what gives me confidence for the long term.

Dan Cassidy

www.parasma-recruitment.com T: 01903 950541

E: dan@parasma-recruitment.com

positioned optimally to our clients.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 49

www.parasma-recruitment.com T: 01903 950541 E: dan@parasma-recruitment.com

At Parasma we specialise in all aspects of Construction recruitment

We are industry specialists placing the very best candidates in each and every role.

Parasma Recruitment supply staff throughout the construction industry. Our vast experience in the industry along with our expansive network and bespoke credit lines allow us to provide the perfect candidates for every role.

So please let us do the heavy lifting when it comes to your resourcing requirements.

Construction Mechanical & Electrical Civil Engineering Interior Fit Out Professional & Technical Demolition Register with us today: www.parasma-recruitment.com

Parasma Recruitment, Madeira Avenue, Worthing, BN11 2BA

50 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk Registered company number: 9998436

SBT LIFESTYLE

THE IVY IN THE LANES

POST LOCKDOWN REVIEW BY KATIE

LETS MEET... HERVÉ GUYAT

FROM THE NEW STEINE HOTEL, BAR & BISTRO

“TRYING IS BUYING”

WITH DEVELDAS LUXURY CHOCOLATES RESTAURANT AND HOTEL BLOGS CREDITED TO OUR SPONSORS VISIT BRIGHTON.

Develdas

Luxury Chocolates & Gifts in Brighton Marina

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 51

The Ivy in the Lanes – post-lockdown review

Last week I was invited to the Ivy in the Lanes to celebrate the long-awaited re-opening.

It was my first post-

Lifestyle

lockdown meal out so naturally I was a little apprehensive but I

couldn’t wait to get dressed up and have someone else cook for me!

The Ivy is known for its beautiful interior

design, slick service and delicious all day dining menu, however in this new Covid world that we are living in, I was unsure if my dining experience would feel safe or if I would be able to relax and enjoy

being out again. Keeping safe is the key

thing on everyone’s mind at the moment so I was really hoping that the Ivy had

enough safety measures in place to make

52 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

the experience safe without losing the enjoyment of dining out.

The Ivy has implemented a number of measures to ensure guests can

confidently dine in a safe environment.

We had such a fantastic evening and

felt completely at ease with being in the

restaurant. The Ivy had gone above and

beyond to keep all restaurant diners safe while keeping that Ivy luxury and charm.

On arrival we were greeted and taken to our table. The staff were friendly

and relaxed but they were all taking

appropriate social distancing measures

with customers to keep themselves and

us safe. Every table had hand sanitiser

for you to use which matched the décor of the restaurant! The tables were all

nicely spaced out and there were signs reminding people to keep distance.

Once we settled in at our table we started to relax, realising that this felt really

safe, clean and so good to be back in a Restaurant. The restaurant had such a

lovely atmosphere so we decided to take a deep breath and enjoy the evening ahead.

We started with Tempura Prawns with Salt and Pepper Squid and a very,

very delicious Rhubarb and Raspberry Gin cocktail.

L I FE STYLE

For mains I opted for the Prawn and

Monkfish curry which was served with rice and green beans. The fish was

so tender and tasty, not like anything I have been producing at home! My

husband decided to have the chicken

Milanese with Truffle Fries. The chicken was yummy and the fries were pure

heaven, the perfect balance of truffle and cheese.

Dessert was the highlight of my meal; a

melting Chocolate Bombe with a Vanilla ice cream and honeycomb centre with

hot salted caramel sauce. Just wow. The food coma was real once I had pretty much licked my plate clean!

Our first post lockdown restaurant visit

was over and I can’t believe how much

I enjoyed it. Not only were we treated to

an evening of beautiful food, drinks and

service but we were able to feel safe and I realised that this new way of living isn’t actually so bad.

Thank you to the Ivy Brighton for taking such good care of us, we can’t wait to come back.

Katie

The Ivy in the Lanes offers all-day dining, seven days a week, from dawn until dusk. An enticing cocktail list sits alongside the dining menu, featuring a choice of traditional and contemporary bespoke cocktails. Visit www.theivybrighton.com

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 53

Let’s meet... Hervé Guyat from The New Steine Hotel, Bar & Bistro We’ve decided to get to know some of our local business partners a bit better - and today we speak to Hervé Guyat from The New Steine Hotel, Bar & Bistro...

What’s your role at

Lifestyle

the New Steine and how long have you

been there, we hear

it’s a big anniversary?

I do believe it is important to keep an eye everywhere.

What do you like most about what you do?

Yes it is a big anniversary as it is 20

My passion is to get to know my

Hotel and put the keys in the door.

local knowledge, helping them have the

Steine Hotel & Bistro, my role is very

at the hotel but in Brighton as well.

looking after them to serving in our

How did you get into tourism and

with our head housekeeper.

My original trade was fashion / Haute

years since I bought the New Steine

customers, chat with them and share my

Whilst I am the proprietor of the New

best experience possible not just with us

hands on; from checking guests and French bistro or checking the rooms

54 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

hospitality?

Couture. I was working for Valentino in Sloane Street, London. I moved to the hospitality industry after the Gulf War

when we had less customers. I did not

want to wait around. I had done a year

at hotel school back in Biarritz but left to move to a fashion house in the south of

France. I went full circle and back to the hospitality industry.

How has your business evolved over the last few years?

The original New Steine only had 11

rooms and was more of a seaside B&B.

L I FE STYLE

As soon as I moved in, I opened the

French Bistro. Over the years I bought

the building next door and transformed

it into a boutique hotel with a bar, French bistro and conference facilities.

What’s the best thing about where you work?

I love the square where we are. It is a very special place for me. Looking at

Brighton seafront everyday just makes me happy. I do come from Biarritz, a seaside resort in south of France.

What’s your average day like, or is it ever average?

My average day is made of 12 hours.

I normally start with a New Steine

Breakfast and run around from the

concierge service and move in to my office to deal with the marketing & accounts.

What is the biggest challenge or

opportunity currently for you and the New Steine Hotel?

The biggest challenge is to ensure that we offer consistency in service and

quality but I hope we are doing well.

What exciting plans are there for the New Steine Hotel?

I am pleased to say that the exciting

plan is for my guests to discover the new

able to see all sort of different looks

and people from all sorts of different countries too.

I also love being able to walk

everywhere and live in a vibrant city. I can’t imagine living anywhere else.

If anything at all, what would you like to be doing as an alternative career?

To be honest, I am lucky to be doing exactly what I love.

look and full refurbishment I just did over

Apart from Brighton of course, where

situation it is to carry on trading in the

I can’t imagine living anywhere else. It

the winter. Of course with the current safest way possible.

moment I walk in.

What do you like most about

I check the arrivals for the day,

What I love about Brighton is the

reservations, check in, check out,

when I first arrived in the 1980’s. Being

Brighton?

else would you most like to live?

would be nice to be able to spend a bit

more time in Biarritz where I come from

and have a holiday home but Brighton is my home to live.

diversity. It reminds me of London

To celebrate their 20th anniversary The New Steine is running some special offers. Book now to avoid disappointment!

Visit www.newsteinehotel.com

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 55

L I FEST Y L E

“Trying is buying” with Develdas luxury chocolates

Develdas is a small independent brand of Luxury Chocolates with a shop at Brighton Marina and online through their Website and Facebook page.

Their Valentino

Lifestyle

chocolates are made by a family-run

business in Belgium.

The chocolates

are handmade and made to order

and therefore always fresh unlike a

supermarket where a box can easily be

1 year old before you get it home. From when they order their chocolates the

production time is about 10 days to when

they arrive at their shop. The cost involved in this process is high as in the summer

they are shipped by air cooled transport.

Their slogan is “trying is buying” the quality is superb and the freshness is

evident but the taste is out of this world.

Many times in their shop you hear a lot of “oh my God, these are amazing”.

They partner with the Valentino family

in Belgium as they are well established and good to work with. They are easy to talk to, open to suggestions and

will bend over backwards to get you

56 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

the answer to a question about any

There are a lot of chocolates out there in

had a call from a customer who is

or very similar to each other whereas

sugar/carb content per 100gr of the

different, delicious and truly luxurious.

not find it in the files, so I approached

Customers who visit the shop enjoy

send me the original technical fiche of

ballotins ready made and pre-packed

ingredient in percentages. That is

either in the shop or on the website.

but they did it because they requested

made up to your specification so if you

Develdas in everything we do and allow

thank you, or to use as a Company

Chocolates through a contract we have

taste buds will thank you…

of our products. For example, we

the marketplace but some are either bland

diabetic and needed to know the exact

the chocolates that Develdas offer are

Valentino Sugar Free range. We could Valentino and they went so far as to

the choice and we always have

that product, analysing every single

with a selection of our chocolates

something they do not normally share

Gift packs are available or can be

it. Valentino are very supportive of

are looking for a Special Gift to say

us to promote their range of Luxury

Promotion please get in touch… Your

in place with them.

In the range there are over 100 different chocolates, of which we carry about 40 in the shop. We can make up Ballotins

with regular chocolates, vegan, alcoholfree, sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free (though that is usually vegan) all with the same great quality.

For more information visit www.develdas.co.uk

Email: info@develdas.co.uk Tel: (+44) 07855 214323 or visit their shop at 17 The Waterfront, Brighton Marina, Brighton. BN2 5WA

SBT MOTORING NEWS

WHICH IS BEST? SUV, MPV, CROSSOVER OR 4X4?

BY RIVERVALE LEASING

SBT MOTORING NEWS SPONSORED BY:

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 57

SUV, MPV, Crossover or 4X4: Which is best?

If you’ve ever wondered about the differences between SUVs, MPVs, Crossovers and 4X4s, you’re not alone. These days there are varying terms to define vehicle types, and it can lead to plenty of confusion when looking for the perfect car.

MPV, SUV, 4X4 and Crossover Motoring There are similarities between these four vehicle types, which is often why they are lumped together for people looking for a certain type of car.

But their differences are distinct too. So, to help you narrow down your search and find the right car for you and your family, here are the headlines on each vehicle type.

58 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

Which is better, MPV or SUV? If we get rid of the acronyms, the different benefits of MPVs and SUVs are easier to grasp. SUV cars are Sports Utility Vehicles. They are much like estate cars, but they have the added oomph to cope with off-road terrain. They also have that rugged vibe to their design. So, if something like a Range Rover is the type of look you like, this is the territory you’re in.

And what are MPV cars? They’re

Multi-Purpose Vehicles. In basic terms, they’re designed to carry larger groups of people. You’ll find MPV cars capable of seating between five and seven passengers comfortably, along with their luggage. They are roomy inside, and this makes them a great choice for bigger families.

What is the difference between an SUV and a 4x4?

So, if an SUV is an off-road car, what’s

MOTO RI NG

a 4x4? Well, this is partly why confusion happens, because basically, they are the same. They share a toughness and ability to tow heavy vehicles for example. But traditional 4x4s weren’t built for comfort. In contrast, modernday SUV cars are. The key difference is in the drive type, a 4x4 means it is a 4 wheel drive whereas an SUV can be a 2 wheel drive vehicle or have the ability to adapt to a 4 wheel drive.

If you’re wondering which SUV is the best, it’s hard to whittle choices down.

There’s an enormous range on the market, and in broad strokes, they do the same thing. They are high-riding, comfortable, and stylish. But each has its own merits, so choosing the right one for you comes down to your circumstances and chosen terrain.

Is an SUV bigger than an MPV? Here’s the thing, both come in different sizes. They are generally both categorised as large cars, but you get subsections within the SUV market for starters. There are mini SUVs, compact SUVs, and full-size SUVs. On the MPV side of things, they tend to be a bit bigger than your average estate, but they too span the small, medium, and large car categories.

Seating capacity usually ranges from five to seven seats. So, for example, you could easily try to compare a seven-seater SUV and a seven-seater MPV and feel flummoxed. Here, it’s best to consider not just the size, but it’s purpose.

If you’re an off-road type of family, an SUV seven-seater is a good choice.

If you need space and comfort, extra headroom and you’re doing your driving along main roads, an MPV can be the perfect fit.

What is the difference between a crossover and an SUV?

If getting your head around the idea of an MPV vehicle versus an SUV is enough, there are also crossover vehicles. Sometimes referred to as a Crossover Utility Vehicle, or CUV, these cars blend features from SUV cars and family saloons.

That gives you a lofty drive, just like an SUV, and usually, they are 4x4s too, so you have that off-road capability. But they don’t handle rugged terrain as well as a through and through SUV. If you have a little bit of “off-the-beaten-track” driving, this can be a good car to bridge the gap between family comfort and road handling. But first and foremost, crossover cars are made to feel comfortable inside.

Again, you can find a variety of crossover vehicles on the market. As a rough guide on sizes, they usually fall somewhere between the slightly smaller family hatchback and full-sized MPVs or SUVs. Perhaps a big thing to note here is that crossovers are more fuel-efficient than SUVs too. So, if you have an eye on running costs, a crossover can be a good alternative.

Finding the right fit for you If we debunk the industry jargon around MPVs, SUVs, 4x4s and crossover cars, we find that they have headline benefits that will help you make a choice. The MPV is spacious and family-friendly first and foremost. The SUV is slick and made for off-road driving, with added interior comfort compared to a 4x4. And a crossover blends some of the road handling from the SUV with classic family saloon features. It’s a bit of a middle ground for families who adventure to a point but need those practical elements inside.

Despite all these car types coming in different sizes, bear these headlines in mind. Ultimately, you can find the

ideal-sized vehicle from any of these categories. But getting the functionality right is a top priority to improve your all-round driving experience.

If you’re looking for an MPV, SUV or 4x4 car, you might want to take a look at our wide selection of vehicles available to lease.

Want to find out more about leasing?

Give our friendly team a call on 01273 433 480.

What to consider when switching to an electric vehicle As the world continues on its path to becoming greener, there has been a big shift in how we live. Many of us are taking more consideration over our actions, whether it be reducing plastic, using more public transport or making alternative switches that are more ecoconscious. One of the bigger green decisions people are shifting toward is ownership of electric vehicles.

However, with the electric car market still new territory for a lot of car owners, there are a lot of questions about what considerations must be accounted for before making an investment. So, what do you need to know before switching to an electric vehicle? Let’s break down some of the most common queries that come up when mulling over eco-friendly vehicles.

What’s the difference between a hybrid and an electric car?

While both hybrid and fully electric models are greener choices than conventional petrol or diesel-powered vehicles, there are some key differences that make these two very different beasts. Hybrid cars gather some of their power from a conventional internal combustion engine (petrol or diesel) which means they are low-emission cars. Meanwhile, electric vehicles are fully powered by electrical sources deeming them zero-emission.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 59

MOTO RI N G

What is the car’s operating range?

Just as you would research how many miles to a gallon of petrol, you need to know how far you can go on a full charge with an electric car. This is most likely going to be important based on your planned usage. Are you intending to use the car for short trips around the city or do you plan on travelling further afield?

If you want to cover greater distances, then you need to consider where you will have access to charging stations or whether the vehicle can generate any additional top-up supply of its own. It’s worth noting you will use greater energy consumption when driving faster on motorways than lower speeds in urban areas.

How and where can I charge my electric car?

While we’ve come to rely on service stations being available fairly regularly, electric vehicle charging stations are less common. However, they are on the rise as popularity for the electric vehicle movement grows. With more than 18,000 charging points located across the UK, you can use apps such as Zap-Map to help you find one nearest to you. You can also charge directly when you’re not using your car at home to ensure it’s at max capacity for your next trip.

for how quickly your car will charge.

Are electric cars more economical?

While initial investments for electric cars might be higher than some of their petrol-powered counterparts, how do they rank long term? The most obvious cost saving will be the elimination of paying for petrol or diesel, which can be a huge annual cost in your budget.

Some studies in the US have found that the cost of running an electric car is less than half that of petrol-based models.

Of course, you still need to factor in the cost of electricity to charge, however with electricity rates more stable than fuel prices and many energy providers offering off-peak rates, there are ways to reduce those costs too.

What maintenance is required for an electric vehicle?

Like any vehicle, there is an element of maintenance required to keep it running in tip-top shape. While spark plugs, fuel filters and oil changes are a thing of the past, you do need to ensure routine maintenance is kept up to date. This promotes a safe and healthy vehicle.

It’s important to note that there are several different types of charging; slow, fast and rapid. As the names suggest, these will determine how quickly you can make sure your car is full of juice. Rapid chargers are the quickest method and usually refer to DC charging, sometimes able to top up your battery within an hour depending on the model you’re driving.

Brakes are high on the list of maintenance items for any vehicle, electric options aren’t exempt from this. The same applies to tyres. These are parts of the car that are involved with safety so they should be a top priority when it comes to keeping on top of their upkeep. These are also aspects of the vehicle that have the most wear and tear, it’s best to stick to the schedule set out by the manufacturer or engineer. Be sure to take into consideration your individual use of the vehicle too, as you would with any other.

Fast and slow units are the kind you’re most likely to encounter when out and about in the UK. Using apps like ZapMap will indicate the kWh capacity of the unit, which will give you an estimate

Other key areas that require maintenance are cabin air filters, high-efficiency particulate filters, air conditioning and winter care depending on where you are based. These costs

60 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

are all common among green cars as well as their fuel-powered peers.

Best electric cars in the UK With innovative technology and a hunger for more eco-conscious options, hybrid and electric car popularity is on the rise in the UK. We’ll take a quick look at a few of the top options across the categories to give you an idea of what’s available.

The Nissan Leaf and Renault Zoe are great small city-friendly electric options while the Hyundai Ioniq is a hybrid alternative. If you’re looking for something a little roomier but still ideal for urban driving, the Tesla Model 3 and Tesla Model X are great mid-size options. SUVs are big in the electric market with players including the Jaguar I-Pace, Audi E-Tron and Mercedes-Benz ECQ all top picks. If you’re after something sportier, give the Porsche Taycan a try.

It’s a personal choice When it comes to it in the end, whether you choose a hybrid or fully-electric vehicle will come down to personal choice. There are a number of considerations that will play into your decision to switch to an eco-friendly car but in the long run, if you’re invested in finding a more green solution to driving, these are going to pique your interest.

Leasing an electric car can make things more affordable because you can pay monthly instalments instead of buying the car outright. It’s also a good way of seeing how you get on with driving an electric vehicle, without making such a big commitment.

You can explore our full range of low and zero-emission car leasing options from Rivervale to find a competitively priced eco-friendly car that will cater to your needs - viisit www.rivervaleleasing.co.uk

SBT NETWORKING & EVENTS

AFFECTED BY REDUNDANCY

NETWORK MY CLUB CAN HELP

SBT NETWORKING & EVENTS SPONSORED BY:

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 61

N ETWORK I N G & E V E N TS

Affected by redundancy?

Network My Club can help

Innovative business networking organisation, Network My Club are offering those that have been made or facing redundancy, free access to attend their weekly online networking events.

Networking & Events

If you’ve been made redundant or are

affected. We are unfortunately seeing it more regularly.

offering you free access to attend their

However, we are seeing businesses and some of our

facing redundancy, Network My Club are online networking events - an offer open until you have found a new role.

Founder & Managing Director, Bradley Hatchett, said: “One of the principles we live by and encourage at Network My Club by is to never to underestimate anyone.”

The idea that anyone could potentially help you. That they

may know one person that could help you or your business.

With that in mind, we want to help those in need of a helping

hand right now. It goes without saying upcoming redundancies are inevitable. We know people that have already been

62 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

members hiring.

Therefore, we’d like to offer an opportunity for those

affected by redundancy. An opportunity for someone you may know looking for a new role.”

Network My Club online meetups bring together dozens

of businesses from across the South East and London. To

network and to keep their business connected during this time.

To find out more about the offer and to apply, visit:

www.networkmyclub.co.uk/redundancy-help-campaign/

ONLINE NETWORKING EVENTS IN SEPTEMBER REGIONAL ONLINE MEETUPS For businesses looking to network in the below regions

London | Thursday 3rd | 10am-11.30am Hampshire | Friday 4th | 10am-11.30am Berkshire | Friday 18th | 10am-11.30am Sussex | Thursday 24th | 10am-11.30am

CLUB-WIDE ONLINE MEETUP For businesses looking to network in the South East & London

Thursday 10th | 10am-11.30am GET 50% OFF ANY ONLINE MEETUP IN SEPTEMBER BY USING 'NMCSBT2020' AT CHECKOUT. VISIT WWW.NETWORKMYCLUB.CO.UK TO BOOK. www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 63

l a u t r i V x Susse 0 2 0 2 o p x E s s e n i s Bu

For more info contact mike@monkmarketing.com

64 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

SBT ASK THE EXPERT

THREE AT THREE

WITH EMMA, JAMES & LISA

CUBE CORNER

BY JAMES JOHNSON, PICTURE BOOK FILMS

SBT ASK THE EXPERT SPONSORED BY:

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 65

AS K T H E E X PE RT

Emma Mills-Sheffield Mindsetup Ltd T: 07775 947 818 E: emma@mindsetup.co.uk

James Dempster, Managing Director Cobb Digital T: 01273 208 913 E: James@cobbdigital.com

Lisa Seymour, Managing Director Made By Spoken T: 01273 964044 E: lisa@madebyspoken.co.uk

Ask the expert

How to build meaningful relationships online.

Ask the expert

Since running our Three at Three

sessions, one thing has been made

abundantly clear

– there is the need for a space that

enables real conversations and real

connections. Every week we’re blown away by the honesty and clarity that

people speak with. We’ve heard real war stories, redundancies, directors taking second jobs and people considering

downsizing their homes...These are not the normal conversations you would have pre COVID-19 in a networking

group. It could be argued that the time we’re in has hugely contributed to the

level of honesty, but we also think that

what we’ve created is special. So, what have we learnt and what will we bring into the post COVID-19 world?

Frame sessions

One of the things we started to do from the outset was a detailed intro at the

66 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

beginning of each session. We don’t

mean “Hi, I’m John and I sell AI solutions.

Contact me for your exclusive 15% off,” we mean setting out what the session is

about at the beginning, establishing rules and expectations. So at the beginning of each of our sessions we remind people

that nothing gets repeated outside of the

session, the questions that we’re framing the session around (for example, how to create a cult following) and how people can interact (as simple as reminding

people that they can physically raise their

hand, press the “raise hand” button or just politely interject.) This may seem obvious, but people like to know what’s expected

of them. It sets the scene and means that everyone can relax and take part.

Don’t worry if topics veer away from your intended discussion

Emma and Lisa are brilliant at thinking of topics and researching them before the discussion. James is not. Often

the discussion will meander away from

the intended direction, but that’s ok.

It’s this space that creates some of the best discussion that we’ve seen (for

instance, have you had a think about

how many sick days your teams have recorded since lockdown? Compare

that to 2019 for the same time period.

You’re welcome.)

Key discussion pieces so far

Adapting to change is how we’ll

succeed — it’s not about being the

strongest or most intellectual (Darwin was covered on one of our early

sessions for those who missed it).

For us it means that how we respond to our audience, or client needs, and adapt to solve their problems will

stand us in a stronger position than being too concerned about what

our competitors are doing. They’re adapting quickly too, after all.

Accepting where you are right now is a positive point — things aren’t normal,

ASK T H E E XPE RT

but once you accept that things have changed you can react and plan to address these.

Working remotely is still challenging for many people and having some people in the office whilst some are working at home is a logistical issue. As this

becomes more commonplace, a balance should come out for business owners.

The work is increasing as evening video calls come up after spending a day in the office too.

It’s been many weeks of back-to-back

work for business owners so finding the

motivation that we had at the start is hard.

Perhaps it’s time to put some boundaries

in place and an ‘out of office’ message on so we can recharge and focus.

Creating trust with our employees is an ongoing discussion as remote working has meant trust is implicit but as we

move to a blended working model, it’s

going to require another readjustment.

When managing teams and dealing with

those at home will be different so

face-to-face with them as possible. Video

both counts is important.

person so this still has more impact than

The needs of those in the office and

any negativity it’s important to get as

trusting that people are delivering on

calls are as close as we’ll get to meeting in messaging, or losing meaning in emails.

We heard of two fantastic business shifts during our discussion. One

Beyond

nearly 100% to now looking at getting

but the answers have been coming

soon. The second business was

to keep numbers limited to keep the

but by creating a ‘direct to consumer’

we’re always happy to add people that

may be a new revenue stream which

or say “business is blooming” and then

where business revenue dropped

We’re pleased with what we’ve created,

a new critical product to market very

from the attendees, not us. We want

impacted by the hospitality sector

conversations open and honest, but

delivery model and virtual events this

aren’t going to show up, give a hard sell

sticks. Hopefully this means that

leave. We succeed when we collaborate.

COVID-19, not weaker.

One thing we’re still searching for an

Transparency with employees and

“water-cooler” moment? If you have the

they’ll be in a stronger position post-

answer to, is how do you recreate the

including them in problem solving is

answer to that, why not join in and tell us!

inclusion as you develop a culture of

Email james@cobbdigital.com to

a great way to show empathy and openness, trust and loyalty.

book your space.

Delivering an exceptional range of hot and cold hydration solutions | Bottled Water Coolers | Mains Fed Water Coolers | Water Boilers | Water Fountains | Specialty Taps | Accessories

0344 579 3999

edgarswater.co.uk enquiries@edgarswater.co.uk

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 67

C U B E C ORN E R

Cube Corner - August 20

Welcome to the August edition of Cube Cube Corner. This Corner month has seen an opening up of bars, restaurants and coffee shops which has brought a buzz back to the City, the number of people out has grown considerably which is a real bonus for our local cafe scene, and also helps when for arranging client meeting venues. Hopefully this can be continued throughout the summer.

The Eat Out to Help Out scheme, certainly seems to be assisting with getting people back into Brighton and with the new protocols in place at the establishments it will only help with customer confidence.

July has been really busy with appointments for my Cube Clients, people are a lot more confident with face to face meetings, which is so important for when businesses are connecting for the first time, lots of great work has been achieved on Teams and Zoom but it has been really good to get out with clients to meet in person.

I am sure many of you will know, MCR are based in Burgess Hill and also have offices in Hove and a London base. They cover most aspects for print, large and small format, signage and vehicle graphics.

I am assisting Max with Business Development and Lead Generation and I am looking forward to getting started with Max this month.

City Utilities is a fairly new business, which as the name suggests is an alternative to the big suppliers. During the past couple of months many businesses are trying to find effective cost savings and this is an area City Utilities can help. I will be working with Steve Darby and Malcolm Jacobs to assist with the growth of their Sussex customer base.

One of the first venues I visited after re-opening of course was Gars as soon as it opened. I met with Paul and Lisa Ollerton who recently sold their Viisana company to Meyado Private Wealth Management. Paul, Lisa and the team all stay in situ which is great, this also gives them access to a new stream of products such as mortgages, pensions and estate planning, if you did wish to meet with Paul and Lisa please let me know and we can set up a meet.

The team at Rivervale have had a strong July across the business, the leasing team have been busy with a mix of pent up demand favourable terms from the manufacturers and with most of the European factories now approaching full production the back-log of vehicles from March, April and May now coming through. There has been a spike in enquiries for electric vehicles with strong discounts and the benefit of zero company car tax attracting new clients to this sector. We had 2 of the sales team jump into the new electric BMW I3’s this week and the reports are really positive.

I am delighted to add 2 more clients to Cube, MCR Media, Max Robinson who

I also had further meetings on the electric vehicle fleet concept with

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Richard Ball at Floral Image and Julian Drage at Inspired Gardens to talk through suitability for their businesses.

Andy Tugwell at the team at TSS hosted a ‘Return to the Office Post-Covid ‘ workshop for my Cube Clients at their Training Centre in Portslade to discuss the requirements and protocols to ensure all Air Conditioning, Heating and Water Units have the necessary checks prior to staff returning to work.

Thanks to Phil Bristow - Nsure, Bruce Hayter - Rix and Kay, Stuart Noakes - Carpenter Box, Gar Hine Cheung - Gars and Sam Thomas - Sussex Business Times for attending.

The weather for golf has of course been incredible. I was lucky enough to play at Pyecombe and spend a great morning with Andy Tugwell at TSS and Stuart Noakes from Carpenter Box and meet up with Andy Belton previously of Vines BMW to play up at Mannings Heath last week. The company was great and the golf was average, as per usual.

I hope you all have a productive month.

Dodge

CUBE CO RN E R

WE’VE MOVED

We are very excited to announce the launch of our new office in Brighton as part of our ongoing expansion.

Our new address is 4 St. Georges Place, Brighton, BN1 4GA We look forward to welcoming everyone soon!

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T H I N K TAN K

Think Tank

Senior Event Manager and C&IT A-Lister Rachel Douglass shares the importance of maintaining focus on sustainability in a new world of experiences.

Everyone is asking the same question: ‘When Think Tank will things return to normal?’ But what is normal anyway?

Before the pandemic, the focus of the events industry (and, we hoped, the entire world) was moving towards creating a sustainable future for us and generations to come. For now, those efforts have given way to adjusting and navigating an unknown path of life after lockdown.

However, a positive has emerged, time to collectively refocus and take heed of the lessons from the past and how we drive change moving forward.

Time to refocus We have seen first-hand from the lockdown measures how quickly we are able to adapt to a slower pace of living and there could be a long-lasting positive environmental change after this pandemic, but it’s how we move on after lockdown that will decide this.

At Yellow Fish, we have always understood the importance of sustainability and we plan to drive this even harder as we move forward and out of this pandemic. We have been using this newfound ‘downtime’ to really focus on what is important to us when delivering events and the standards we expect from our suppliers and partners around

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the world. We hope our industry colleagues are doing the same and that we can come together to insist these become industry standards.

Second nature With that in mind, we hope questions that are currently asked during initial discussions with our hotel partners won’t need to be asked in the future because the answers will be second nature.

Questions like: are you partnering with local initiatives to ensure food waste does not end up in landfill? Are the food items locally sourced from a sustainable resource? How can we make sure the event is having a positive impact on the local community?

The list goes on, but the answers and explanations hold the key to a more sustainable future for our industry.

Responsibility to educate As an agency operating in a high carbon footprint industry it is our responsibility to help educate our clients to ensure they make informed choices regarding the environmental impact their event could have. We work with them to reduce that footprint by using recyclable materials, providing

reduced air travel plans, and providing hybrid or fully virtual alternative solutions. There will always be the need for live experiences and we will look at every element to ensure we minimise the carbon impact as much as possible. Simple changes can make a huge difference, from electric transfers for VIP’s, looking at destinations with access by train, recyclable staging, a vegan menu and introducing a CSR activity which benefits and connects the audience to the community.

Now is the time for our industry to step up and embrace this next chapter we find ourselves in. To be trailblazers in sustainable events and consultants to our clients to ensure our planet and our people can continue to breathe. This is a golden opportunity to come together and make a change for the better.

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MCR Media Ltd produces digital large format graphics, exhibition printing, signage, vehicle graphics, small format digital and litho printing, branded merchandising using sustainable materials and processes. Whatever aspects of brand awareness you need, we can help with design all the way through to delivery or installation, on time and at the most economical price.

Sustainability is at the core of MCR and we do not only supply and manufacture sustainable print. We also consult and source sustainable materials for our clients, therefore reducing their carbon footprint and damage to the environment.

We offer a very versatile and reliable service in all these fields from start-ups 72 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk and SMEs to international brands and wholesalers.

media

Think Big... Go Large

Unit 3, Lyes Farm Cuckfield Road Burgess Hill, West Sussex RH15 8RG Tel: 01273 233558 E: info@mcrmedia.co.uk www.mcrmedia.co.uk